Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salary: $54,140 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 154,540 legal secretaries and administrative assistants work nationally, and $54,140 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 9% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.6% annual decline.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: what the data shows
Common questions about legal secretaries and administrative assistants careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-6012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 154,540 workers.
What does a legal secretaries and administrative assistants do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Performing Administrative Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a legal secretaries and administrative assistants make?
BLS national median annual wage: $54,140 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $80,395 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,424 |
| 25th percentile | $47,839 |
| Median (50th) | $62,641 |
| 75th percentile | $83,981 |
| 90th percentile | $108,416 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Time Management, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Administrative, Law and Government, English Language, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is legal secretaries and administrative assistants in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -7.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -14.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 154,540.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do legal secretaries and administrative assistantss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 154,540 | 19.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 133,990 | 16.9% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 125,840 | 15.8% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 125,840 | 15.8% |
| Legal Services | 124,650 | 15.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 20,550 | 2.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Paralegals | 367,220 | $61,010 |
| Lawyers | 747,750 | $151,160 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,737,820 | $46,290 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,680 | $75,890 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 131,320 | $45,980 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,230 | $115,230 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants workforce.
Employment Over Time
154,540 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants shrank from 123,020 in 2009 to 94,980 in 2025 (22.8%).
Historical employment for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$54,140 Median pay (BLS national)
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn $54,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Salary distribution for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
87,604 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -7.8%
80,801 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -14.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Wage Trends by Industry
13.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 23,960 employees, $78,700 avg wage
- NY: 15,430 employees, $71,310 avg wage
- FL: 10,970 employees, $58,090 avg wage
- TX: 9,900 employees, $54,370 avg wage
- IL: 8,860 employees, $60,730 avg wage
- PA: 6,440 employees, $52,570 avg wage
- OH: 5,170 employees, $49,340 avg wage
- NC: 4,460 employees, $46,450 avg wage
- WA: 4,090 employees, $61,190 avg wage
- NJ: 3,910 employees, $62,510 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 14,530 employees, $74,520 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 11,880 employees, $82,900 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 7,020 employees, $63,570 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 5,340 employees, $61,450 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 3,920 employees, $59,180 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,970 employees, $56,400 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 2,960 employees, $69,060 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 2,810 employees, $92,400 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 2,800 employees, $88,410 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,750 employees, $61,060 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Diversity
Demographic information on Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is about 154,540 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants workers.
Education level distribution for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Skills
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Time Management.
Required skills for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants include Administrative, Law and Government, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants include Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Written Expression, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
Daily Activities
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants spend their time on activities such as Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Working with Computers, Getting Information, Performing Administrative Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants.
About
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn $54,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
43-6012 - Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants reports an average salary of $80,395.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 154,540 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.