Sort by any column. Employment is the number of legal secretaries and administrative assistants OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant Salary by State (2026)
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn the most in District of Columbia at $99,280 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $31,000 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $55,570. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $99,280
- National median
- $55,570
- Lowest median
- $31,000
- States reporting
- 52
District of Columbia
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- 1. District of Columbia$99,280 median · $90,336 adjusted · 1,940 employed
- 2. New York$72,230 median · $66,929 adjusted · 9,800 employed
- 3. Connecticut$66,220 median · $63,913 adjusted · 1,090 employed
- 4. Delaware$66,130 median · $66,257 adjusted · 980 employed
- 5. Minnesota$63,180 median · $64,063 adjusted · 2,410 employed
Lowest-paying states for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- 52. Puerto Rico$31,000 median · no price parity · 2,530 employed
- 51. Kansas$36,620 median · $40,658 adjusted · 1,600 employed
- 50. Missouri$38,560 median · $42,459 adjusted · 3,310 employed
- 49. Kentucky$39,300 median · $43,590 adjusted · 2,810 employed
- 48. Arkansas$41,410 median · $47,632 adjusted · 610 employed
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $99,280 | $64,670 | $107,690 | 1,940 | $90,336 |
| 2 | New York | $72,230 | $52,780 | $97,220 | 9,800 | $66,929 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $66,220 | $56,150 | $81,050 | 1,090 | $63,913 |
| 4 | Delaware | $66,130 | $59,750 | $80,110 | 980 | $66,257 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $63,180 | $54,460 | $79,410 | 2,410 | $64,063 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $63,080 | $48,910 | $76,100 | 4,160 | $57,975 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $63,020 | $43,680 | $80,890 | 390 | $61,615 |
| 8 | California | $62,860 | $50,040 | $80,650 | 27,470 | $56,774 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $62,120 | $48,040 | $77,420 | 4,020 | $58,738 |
| 10 | Maryland | $61,440 | $49,920 | $77,580 | 1,670 | $58,537 |
| 11 | Alaska | $61,280 | $50,530 | $62,190 | 660 | $59,868 |
| 12 | Oregon | $59,610 | $45,270 | $82,730 | 1,590 | $57,672 |
| 13 | Colorado | $59,490 | $49,340 | $82,390 | 2,030 | $57,728 |
| 14 | Washington | $58,360 | $49,400 | $77,560 | 3,950 | $54,535 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $57,800 | $48,210 | $65,760 | 1,400 | $62,682 |
| 16 | Michigan | $56,870 | $44,030 | $71,970 | 3,580 | $59,106 |
| 17 | Nevada | $56,470 | $47,870 | $70,530 | 1,430 | $56,482 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $55,410 | $48,270 | $61,920 | 1,210 | $58,887 |
| 19 | Virginia | $55,320 | $44,060 | $69,020 | 2,380 | $54,716 |
| 20 | Arizona | $55,120 | $47,870 | $74,940 | 2,600 | $54,749 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $53,540 | $46,470 | $61,620 | 360 | $60,185 |
| 22 | Utah | $52,860 | $43,040 | $66,500 | 940 | $53,467 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $52,840 | $42,220 | $59,030 | 2,280 | $56,363 |
| 24 | Illinois | $52,790 | $47,120 | $68,030 | 8,030 | $52,812 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $51,830 | $44,980 | $69,260 | 300 | $49,758 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $51,430 | $45,730 | $60,320 | 6,230 | $52,710 |
| 27 | Ohio | $51,080 | $41,230 | $62,130 | 4,360 | $55,059 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $49,460 | $48,310 | $64,800 | 680 | $44,984 |
| 29 | Vermont | $49,090 | $46,580 | $55,210 | N/A | $50,113 |
| 30 | Florida | $48,510 | $40,960 | $64,800 | 10,920 | $46,909 |
| 31 | Georgia | $48,460 | $40,990 | $60,830 | 3,260 | $50,326 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $48,050 | $37,730 | $61,030 | 2,460 | $54,474 |
| 33 | Maine | $48,040 | $44,240 | $58,960 | 860 | $49,500 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $47,790 | $42,790 | $51,010 | 560 | $53,948 |
| 35 | Indiana | $47,740 | $42,880 | $61,540 | 2,670 | $51,152 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $46,960 | $33,890 | $54,570 | 1,200 | $52,471 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $46,960 | $46,770 | $50,960 | 280 | $50,663 |
| 38 | Iowa | $46,590 | $38,560 | $56,660 | 1,120 | $53,087 |
| 39 | Guam | $46,430 | $41,180 | $52,040 | 50 | N/A |
| 40 | Alabama | $45,950 | $36,660 | $57,680 | 1,840 | $51,732 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $45,950 | $37,380 | $52,830 | 1,290 | $52,309 |
| 42 | Texas | $45,940 | $41,590 | $62,610 | 13,380 | $47,333 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $45,800 | $34,840 | $56,750 | 1,310 | $50,831 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $45,340 | $37,310 | $59,640 | 2,980 | $49,352 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $45,140 | $31,750 | $54,240 | 820 | $51,913 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $43,720 | $36,890 | $50,650 | 3,780 | $46,350 |
| 47 | Idaho | $41,880 | $38,990 | $46,010 | 420 | $43,856 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $41,410 | $34,530 | $48,640 | 610 | $47,632 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $39,300 | $35,410 | $47,510 | 2,810 | $43,590 |
| 50 | Missouri | $38,560 | $36,270 | $53,720 | 3,310 | $42,459 |
| 51 | Kansas | $36,620 | $30,520 | $45,140 | 1,600 | $40,658 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $31,000 | $27,620 | $38,320 | 2,530 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $99,280, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $90,336.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants at $99,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New York ($72,230) and Connecticut ($66,220).
Which state pays Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants at $31,000 a year, $68,280 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $90,336 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $99,280. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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