Law clerk and paralegal salary in Ontario

In Ontario, paralegals and law clerks earn a median of $33.00 an hour, roughly $68,600 a year full time, according to the Government of Canada's Job Bank. In the Toronto region the median is a little higher, at $33.80 an hour. Experienced senior law clerks can earn considerably more.

Job Bank groups law clerks and paralegals in one occupation (NOC 42200), so these figures cover both. In Ontario the two roles are different: licensed paralegals are regulated by the Law Society and can represent clients in permitted matters, while law clerks work under a lawyer's supervision. Read our guide to paralegal credentials on a resume to describe your status accurately.

Pay by province

Job Bank publishes hourly wages updated November 19, 2025, using a 2023–2024 reference period. We converted medians to annual figures at 2,080 hours a year (40 hours a week), so treat the annual column as an approximation.

Sources: Job Bank, paralegal and related occupations and Job Bank, Toronto region. The Toronto region figure comes from a different Job Bank data source than the provincial figures.

Pay by experience in Toronto

PayScale's self-reported data for Toronto suggests how much experience matters. Self-reported figures skew toward people who choose to report, so treat them as rough guides.

Ways to increase your pay

• Specialize. Deep experience in one area, such as corporate, real estate, or litigation, makes you more valuable to the teams that need it.
• Consider larger employers. Large firms and corporate legal departments often pay more than small offices.
• Get licensed, if you want to advocate. In Ontario, a paralegal licence lets you represent clients in permitted areas and opens the option of independent practice.
• Build your software skills. Practice management, document automation, and e-discovery tools are increasingly part of the job.

Licensed paralegal or law clerk: how pay differs

Because Job Bank combines the two roles, its medians do not show the gap between them. In practice, pay depends on the work. Law clerks are usually salaried employees of a firm or legal department, and their pay tracks the size of the employer and their practice area. Licensed paralegals may also be salaried, but many run their own practices or work on a fee basis, so their income varies more from year to year.

Licensed paralegals carry costs that salaried law clerks often do not, such as annual Law Society fees, professional liability insurance, and continuing professional development. If you are weighing the two paths, compare take-home income after those costs, not just headline pay.

How to read these numbers

• Hourly figures assume full-time work. Part-time and contract roles are common in this field, so your annual income may differ from the approximate annual column.
• Job Bank data is a few years old. The reference period ends in 2024, so current pay may be somewhat higher.
• Self-reported data skews. PayScale figures depend on who chooses to report, and samples can be small.
• Benefits matter. Overtime pay, bonuses, pension matching, and health coverage can change the value of two offers with the same salary.