diff --git a/src/lib/paginator/paginator.html b/src/lib/paginator/paginator.html
index 6ba59e010a7..0a003590b39 100644
--- a/src/lib/paginator/paginator.html
+++ b/src/lib/paginator/paginator.html
@@ -1,80 +1,82 @@
-<div class="mat-paginator-container">
-  <div class="mat-paginator-page-size" *ngIf="!hidePageSize">
-    <div class="mat-paginator-page-size-label">
-      {{_intl.itemsPerPageLabel}}
+<div class="mat-paginator-outer-container">
+  <div class="mat-paginator-container">
+    <div class="mat-paginator-page-size" *ngIf="!hidePageSize">
+      <div class="mat-paginator-page-size-label">
+        {{_intl.itemsPerPageLabel}}
+      </div>
+
+      <mat-form-field
+        *ngIf="_displayedPageSizeOptions.length > 1"
+        [color]="color"
+        class="mat-paginator-page-size-select">
+        <mat-select
+          [value]="pageSize"
+          [aria-label]="_intl.itemsPerPageLabel"
+          (selectionChange)="_changePageSize($event.value)">
+          <mat-option *ngFor="let pageSizeOption of _displayedPageSizeOptions" [value]="pageSizeOption">
+            {{pageSizeOption}}
+          </mat-option>
+        </mat-select>
+      </mat-form-field>
+
+      <div *ngIf="_displayedPageSizeOptions.length <= 1">{{pageSize}}</div>
     </div>
 
-    <mat-form-field
-      *ngIf="_displayedPageSizeOptions.length > 1"
-      [color]="color"
-      class="mat-paginator-page-size-select">
-      <mat-select
-        [value]="pageSize"
-        [aria-label]="_intl.itemsPerPageLabel"
-        (selectionChange)="_changePageSize($event.value)">
-        <mat-option *ngFor="let pageSizeOption of _displayedPageSizeOptions" [value]="pageSizeOption">
-          {{pageSizeOption}}
-        </mat-option>
-      </mat-select>
-    </mat-form-field>
+    <div class="mat-paginator-range-actions">
+      <div class="mat-paginator-range-label">
+        {{_intl.getRangeLabel(pageIndex, pageSize, length)}}
+      </div>
 
-    <div *ngIf="_displayedPageSizeOptions.length <= 1">{{pageSize}}</div>
-  </div>
-
-  <div class="mat-paginator-range-actions">
-    <div class="mat-paginator-range-label">
-      {{_intl.getRangeLabel(pageIndex, pageSize, length)}}
+      <button mat-icon-button type="button"
+              class="mat-paginator-navigation-first"
+              (click)="firstPage()"
+              [attr.aria-label]="_intl.firstPageLabel"
+              [matTooltip]="_intl.firstPageLabel"
+              [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasPreviousPage()"
+              [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
+              [disabled]="!hasPreviousPage()"
+              *ngIf="showFirstLastButtons">
+        <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
+          <path d="M18.41 16.59L13.82 12l4.59-4.59L17 6l-6 6 6 6zM6 6h2v12H6z"/>
+        </svg>
+      </button>
+      <button mat-icon-button type="button"
+              class="mat-paginator-navigation-previous"
+              (click)="previousPage()"
+              [attr.aria-label]="_intl.previousPageLabel"
+              [matTooltip]="_intl.previousPageLabel"
+              [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasPreviousPage()"
+              [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
+              [disabled]="!hasPreviousPage()">
+        <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
+          <path d="M15.41 7.41L14 6l-6 6 6 6 1.41-1.41L10.83 12z"/>
+        </svg>
+      </button>
+      <button mat-icon-button type="button"
+              class="mat-paginator-navigation-next"
+              (click)="nextPage()"
+              [attr.aria-label]="_intl.nextPageLabel"
+              [matTooltip]="_intl.nextPageLabel"
+              [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasNextPage()"
+              [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
+              [disabled]="!hasNextPage()">
+        <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
+          <path d="M10 6L8.59 7.41 13.17 12l-4.58 4.59L10 18l6-6z"/>
+        </svg>
+      </button>
+      <button mat-icon-button type="button"
+              class="mat-paginator-navigation-last"
+              (click)="lastPage()"
+              [attr.aria-label]="_intl.lastPageLabel"
+              [matTooltip]="_intl.lastPageLabel"
+              [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasNextPage()"
+              [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
+              [disabled]="!hasNextPage()"
+              *ngIf="showFirstLastButtons">
+        <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
+          <path d="M5.59 7.41L10.18 12l-4.59 4.59L7 18l6-6-6-6zM16 6h2v12h-2z"/>
+        </svg>
+      </button>
     </div>
-
-    <button mat-icon-button type="button"
-            class="mat-paginator-navigation-first"
-            (click)="firstPage()"
-            [attr.aria-label]="_intl.firstPageLabel"
-            [matTooltip]="_intl.firstPageLabel"
-            [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasPreviousPage()"
-            [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
-            [disabled]="!hasPreviousPage()"
-            *ngIf="showFirstLastButtons">
-      <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
-        <path d="M18.41 16.59L13.82 12l4.59-4.59L17 6l-6 6 6 6zM6 6h2v12H6z"/>
-      </svg>
-    </button>
-    <button mat-icon-button type="button"
-            class="mat-paginator-navigation-previous"
-            (click)="previousPage()"
-            [attr.aria-label]="_intl.previousPageLabel"
-            [matTooltip]="_intl.previousPageLabel"
-            [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasPreviousPage()"
-            [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
-            [disabled]="!hasPreviousPage()">
-      <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
-        <path d="M15.41 7.41L14 6l-6 6 6 6 1.41-1.41L10.83 12z"/>
-      </svg>
-    </button>
-    <button mat-icon-button type="button"
-            class="mat-paginator-navigation-next"
-            (click)="nextPage()"
-            [attr.aria-label]="_intl.nextPageLabel"
-            [matTooltip]="_intl.nextPageLabel"
-            [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasNextPage()"
-            [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
-            [disabled]="!hasNextPage()">
-      <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
-        <path d="M10 6L8.59 7.41 13.17 12l-4.58 4.59L10 18l6-6z"/>
-      </svg>
-    </button>
-    <button mat-icon-button type="button"
-            class="mat-paginator-navigation-last"
-            (click)="lastPage()"
-            [attr.aria-label]="_intl.lastPageLabel"
-            [matTooltip]="_intl.lastPageLabel"
-            [matTooltipDisabled]="!hasNextPage()"
-            [matTooltipPosition]="'above'"
-            [disabled]="!hasNextPage()"
-            *ngIf="showFirstLastButtons">
-      <svg class="mat-paginator-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" focusable="false">
-        <path d="M5.59 7.41L10.18 12l-4.59 4.59L7 18l6-6-6-6zM16 6h2v12h-2z"/>
-      </svg>
-    </button>
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/lib/paginator/paginator.scss b/src/lib/paginator/paginator.scss
index 67e1ff2347c..7f22f7721b1 100644
--- a/src/lib/paginator/paginator.scss
+++ b/src/lib/paginator/paginator.scss
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ $mat-paginator-selector-trigger-fill-width: 64px;
 /** @deprecated Use `$mat-paginator-selector-trigger-width` instead. @breaking-change 8.0.0 */
 $mat-paginator-selector-trigger-min-width: $mat-paginator-selector-trigger-width;
 
+/** @deprecated Unused. To be removed */
 $mat-paginator-range-actions-min-height: 48px;
 
 $mat-paginator-range-label-margin: 0 32px 0 24px;
@@ -37,6 +38,12 @@ $mat-paginator-button-last-increment-icon-margin: 9px;
   display: block;
 }
 
+// Note: this wrapper element is only used to get the flexbox vertical centering to work
+// with the `min-height` on IE11. It can be removed if we drop support for IE.
+.mat-paginator-outer-container {
+  display: flex;
+}
+
 .mat-paginator-container {
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
@@ -44,6 +51,7 @@ $mat-paginator-button-last-increment-icon-margin: 9px;
   min-height: $mat-paginator-height;
   padding: $mat-paginator-padding;
   flex-wrap: wrap-reverse;
+  width: 100%;
 }
 
 .mat-paginator-page-size {
@@ -81,7 +89,6 @@ $mat-paginator-button-last-increment-icon-margin: 9px;
 .mat-paginator-range-actions {
   display: flex;
   align-items: center;
-  min-height: $mat-paginator-range-actions-min-height;
 }
 
 .mat-paginator-icon {