Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $44,450–$71,970. 156,280 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
52% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $54,889.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 18,100 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 23% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Psychology | 7% | Psychology |
| English Language And Literature | 6% | English |
| Political Science And Government | 5% | Political Science |
| Business Management And Administration | 5% | Business Administration |
| Communications | 4% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Social Work | 4% | Social Work |
| Philosophy And Religious Studies | 4% | Philosophy · Religious Studies |
| Sociology | 4% | Sociology |
| History | 3% | History |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $99,280 |
| New York | $72,230 |
| Connecticut | $66,220 |
| Delaware | $66,130 |
| Minnesota | $63,180 |
| New Jersey | $63,080 |
| Rhode Island | $63,020 |
| California | $62,860 |
| Massachusetts | $62,120 |
| Maryland | $61,440 |
| Alaska | $61,280 |
| Oregon | $59,610 |
| Colorado | $59,490 |
| Washington | $58,360 |
| New Mexico | $57,800 |
| Michigan | $56,870 |
| Nevada | $56,470 |
| Wisconsin | $55,410 |
| Virginia | $55,320 |
| Arizona | $55,120 |
| North Dakota | $53,540 |
| Utah | $52,860 |
| South Carolina | $52,840 |
| Illinois | $52,790 |
| New Hampshire | $51,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,430 |
| Ohio | $51,080 |
| Hawaii | $49,460 |
| Vermont | $49,090 |
| Florida | $48,510 |
| Georgia | $48,460 |
| Louisiana | $48,050 |
| Maine | $48,040 |
| South Dakota | $47,790 |
| Indiana | $47,740 |
| West Virginia | $46,960 |
| Wyoming | $46,960 |
| Iowa | $46,590 |
| GU | $46,430 |
| Alabama | $45,950 |
| Oklahoma | $45,950 |
| Texas | $45,940 |
| Nebraska | $45,800 |
| Tennessee | $45,340 |
| Mississippi | $45,140 |
| North Carolina | $43,720 |
| Idaho | $41,880 |
| Arkansas | $41,410 |
| Kentucky | $39,300 |
| Missouri | $38,560 |
| Kansas | $36,620 |
| PR | $31,000 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$49,620
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$47,510
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$46,590
- Jacksonville$49,350
- Naples-Marco Island$49,920
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$58,290
- Tallahassee$48,490
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$46,510
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$77,220
- Richmond$61,600
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$49,560
- Roanoke$45,950
- Kingsport-Bristol$38,360
- Lynchburg$42,090
- Harrisonburg$38,120
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$37,700
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$62,620
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$61,780
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$79,410
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$59,470
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$54,100
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$87,270
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$71,670
- Fresno$55,820
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- Administrative
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Cautiousness
People in this job tend to have Conventional (organizing), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: questions
How much do legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants make?
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn a U.S. median $55,570 a year; the middle half earn $44,450 to $71,970 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $49,325 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants a growing field?
BLS projects a decline of 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 18,100 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistant?
BLS lists the typical entry education as high school diploma or equivalent. In O*NET's survey, 7% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is criminal Justice And Fire Protection (23%).
How much do legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $48,510 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $55,570 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 43-6012. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/legal-secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.