State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn a median of $55,570 per year ($26.72/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 5.8% through 2034, with about 19,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 43-6012Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $55,570
- Projected growth
- -5.8%
- Openings a year
- 19,600
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Confidential Secretary, Legal Administrative Assistant (Legal Admin Assistant), Legal Administrator (Legal Admin), Legal Coordinator, Legal Management Assistant, Legal Office Support Assistant.
How much do Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants make?
10th percentile$36,500
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$44,450
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$55,570
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$71,970
Upper quartile
90th percentile$91,730
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $55,570 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $26.72/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $60,620 |
| People employed | 156,280 |
Versus all US occupations
At $55,570, Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn 9% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,590 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500, this is 15% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $91,730 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,500, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 36% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $99,280, and still leads at $90,336 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $99,280 | $90,336 | 1,940 |
| New York | $72,230 | $66,929 | 9,800 |
| Connecticut | $66,220 | $63,913 | 1,090 |
| Delaware | $66,130 | $66,257 | 980 |
| Minnesota | $63,180 | $64,063 | 2,410 |
| New Jersey | $63,080 | $57,975 | 4,160 |
| Rhode Island | $63,020 | $61,615 | 390 |
| California | $62,860 | $56,774 | 27,470 |
| Massachusetts | $62,120 | $58,738 | 4,020 |
| Maryland | $61,440 | $58,537 | 1,670 |
Is Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant a growing career?
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants-5.8%
All US occupations3.1%
-5.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants to change -5.8% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 9,000 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 19,600 openings are projected each year, 12.5% of the 156,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to decline 0 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Despite declining employment, about 358,300 openings for secretaries and administrative assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of secretaries and administrative assistants varies by occupation (see table).
How to become a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant
High school graduates who are comfortable using word processing and spreadsheet programs typically qualify for entry-level positions. Although workers typically learn their duties over several weeks on the job, legal and medical secretaries and administrative assistants may need additional training to learn industry-specific terminology. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically need several years of related work experience.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as legal secretaries and administrative assistants.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)48.1%
- High School Diploma17.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate14.3%
- Some College Courses13.2%
- Bachelor's Degree7.0%
What does a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant do?
Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. They arrange files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.
Day-to-day tasks
- Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
- Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
- Receive and place telephone calls.
- Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
- Schedule and make appointments.
- Draft and type office memos.
- Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
- Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing3.9/5
- Speaking3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
- Learning Strategies2.3/5
Transferable skills
- Time Management3.3/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Persuasion2.4/5
- Negotiation2.1/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Calendar and scheduling software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.4
Investigative2.9
Artistic1.6
Socialprimary3.2
Enterprisingprimary4.4
Conventionalprimary6.7
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant: frequently asked questions
How much do Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants make?
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn a median of $55,570 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $26.72/hr. The middle half earn between $44,450 and $71,970. The top 10% earn $91,730 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.1% hold associate's degree (or other 2-year degree).
Is Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.8% over 2024–2034, a loss of 9,000 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 19,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant do?
Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks. A core O*NET task: mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants the most?
The highest state medians for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants are District of Columbia ($99,280), New York ($72,230), Connecticut ($66,220) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant?
O*NET scores Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.