Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary in the U.S.
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the U.S. earn a median of $55,570 a year ($26.72 an hour), based on BLS data for 156,280 workers.
Pay ranges from $36,500 for the lowest-paid 10% to $91,730 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $60,620, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for legal secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,500 | $17.55 |
| 25th percentile | $44,450 | $21.37 |
| Median | $55,570 | $26.72 |
| 75th percentile | $71,970 | $34.60 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $91,730 | $44.10 |
| Average (mean) | $60,620 | $29.14 |
Half of legal secretaries and administrative assistants earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $4,630.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,315.42 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,137.31 |
| Weekly | $1,068.65 |
| Hourly | $26.72 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
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Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $99,280 | 1,940 |
| New York | $72,230 | 9,800 |
| Connecticut | $66,220 | 1,090 |
| Delaware | $66,130 | 980 |
| Minnesota | $63,180 | 2,410 |
| New Jersey | $63,080 | 4,160 |
| Rhode Island | $63,020 | 390 |
| California | $62,860 | 27,470 |
| Massachusetts | $62,120 | 4,020 |
| Maryland | $61,440 | 1,670 |
| Alaska | $61,280 | 660 |
| Oregon | $59,610 | 1,590 |
| Colorado | $59,490 | 2,030 |
| Washington | $58,360 | 3,950 |
| New Mexico | $57,800 | 1,400 |
| Michigan | $56,870 | 3,580 |
| Nevada | $56,470 | 1,430 |
| Wisconsin | $55,410 | 1,210 |
| Virginia | $55,320 | 2,380 |
| Arizona | $55,120 | 2,600 |
| North Dakota | $53,540 | 360 |
| Utah | $52,860 | 940 |
| South Carolina | $52,840 | 2,280 |
| Illinois | $52,790 | 8,030 |
| New Hampshire | $51,830 | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,430 | 6,230 |
| Ohio | $51,080 | 4,360 |
| Hawaii | $49,460 | 680 |
| Vermont | $49,090 | n/a |
| Florida | $48,510 | 10,920 |
| Georgia | $48,460 | 3,260 |
| Louisiana | $48,050 | 2,460 |
| Maine | $48,040 | 860 |
| South Dakota | $47,790 | 560 |
| Indiana | $47,740 | 2,670 |
| West Virginia | $46,960 | 1,200 |
| Wyoming | $46,960 | 280 |
| Iowa | $46,590 | 1,120 |
| Guam | $46,430 | 50 |
| Alabama | $45,950 | 1,840 |
| Oklahoma | $45,950 | 1,290 |
| Texas | $45,940 | 13,380 |
| Nebraska | $45,800 | 1,310 |
| Tennessee | $45,340 | 2,980 |
| Mississippi | $45,140 | 820 |
| North Carolina | $43,720 | 3,780 |
| Idaho | $41,880 | 420 |
| Arkansas | $41,410 | 610 |
| Kentucky | $39,300 | 2,810 |
| Missouri | $38,560 | 3,310 |
| Kansas | $36,620 | 1,600 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,000 | 2,530 |
Best-paying metro areas for legal secretaries and administrative assistants
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $87,270 | 660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,410 | 2,740 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $77,780 | 50 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $77,220 | 2,970 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $75,950 | 260 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,920 | 9,580 |
| Salinas, CA | $75,150 | 80 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $74,790 | 470 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $74,360 | 160 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $71,670 | 590 |
| Reno, NV | $71,130 | 70 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $70,660 | 30 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $69,720 | 120 |
| Carson City, NV | $67,670 | 40 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $67,600 | 190 |
Metro areas with the most legal secretaries and administrative assistants
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 14,930 | $62,620 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,580 | $75,920 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 6,120 | $59,490 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 4,920 | $42,690 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 4,210 | $46,150 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,210 | $49,620 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 3,930 | $56,480 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,420 | $61,780 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3,330 | $62,690 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,970 | $77,220 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,740 | $79,410 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,570 | $62,000 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,430 | $47,510 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 2,230 | $35,560 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,010 | $65,790 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 | $22.86 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $45,930 | $22.08 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $76,590 | $36.82 |
| Customer Service Representative | $44,770 | $21.53 |
| Office Clerks, General | $45,010 | $21.64 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,500 | $33.41 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $50,670 | $24.36 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $45,260 | $21.76 |
| Billing and Posting Clerks | $48,500 | $23.32 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $59,650 | $28.68 |
| Teller | $43,030 | $20.69 |
| Postal Service Mail Carrier | $60,550 | $29.11 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $35,070 | $16.86 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-6012. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a legal secretaries and administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The median salary for legal secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S. is $55,570 a year, or $26.72 an hour. Pay ranges from $36,500 for the lowest-paid 10% to $91,730 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid legal secretaries and administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of legal secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S. earn at least $91,730 a year. The top 25% earn $71,970 or more.
What is the starting pay for legal secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $36,500 a year, and a quarter of legal secretaries and administrative assistants earn $44,450 or less.
How many legal secretaries and administrative assistants work in the U.S.?
About 156,280 legal secretaries and administrative assistants are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.