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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

43-6012 Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

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.

National estimates for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Industry profile for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Geographic profile for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

National estimates for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
160,950 1.8 % $ 25.36 $ 52,750 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.24 $ 17.83 $ 23.55 $ 31.54 $ 39.55
Annual Wage (2) $ 29,620 $ 37,090 $ 48,980 $ 65,610 $ 82,270

Industry profile for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 132,740 11.67 $ 25.53 $ 53,110
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 10,210 0.19 $ 23.77 $ 49,430
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 8,470 0.39 $ 23.55 $ 48,990
Insurance Carriers 1,270 0.11 $ 27.44 $ 57,080
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,150 0.05 $ 28.17 $ 58,600

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 132,740 11.67 $ 25.53 $ 53,110
Other Investment Pools and Funds 180 1.66 $ 19.14 $ 39,810
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 8,470 0.39 $ 23.55 $ 48,990
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 10,210 0.19 $ 23.77 $ 49,430
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 60 0.12 (8) (8)

Top paying industries for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Information Services 50 0.01 $ 37.42 $ 77,830
Scientific Research and Development Services 40 (7) $ 33.12 $ 68,880
Telecommunications 130 0.02 $ 32.71 $ 68,030
Real Estate 160 0.01 $ 32.25 $ 67,080
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 30 0.01 $ 32.14 $ 66,860

Geographic profile for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 25,690 1.56 1.35 $ 29.74 $ 61,870
Texas 11,580 0.96 0.83 $ 24.07 $ 50,070
New York 11,460 1.32 1.14 $ 29.34 $ 61,020
Florida 10,530 1.25 1.08 $ 22.86 $ 47,560
Illinois 8,330 1.48 1.28 $ 24.61 $ 51,180




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 2,920 4.25 3.67 $ 42.11 $ 87,600
Delaware 1,100 2.59 2.24 $ 24.21 $ 50,360
West Virginia 1,520 2.34 2.02 $ 20.31 $ 42,240
Rhode Island 970 2.19 1.89 $ 26.21 $ 54,520
South Dakota 850 2.08 1.80 $ 17.58 $ 36,580




Top paying states for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 2,920 4.25 3.67 $ 42.11 $ 87,600
Massachusetts 4,040 1.21 1.04 $ 30.39 $ 63,210
California 25,690 1.56 1.35 $ 29.74 $ 61,870
New York 11,460 1.32 1.14 $ 29.34 $ 61,020
Colorado 2,640 1.02 0.89 $ 27.80 $ 57,830





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 14,330 1.62 1.40 $ 29.83 $ 62,050
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 13,010 2.23 1.93 $ 30.58 $ 63,600
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,750 1.55 1.34 $ 25.31 $ 52,650
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,210 1.93 1.67 $ 28.17 $ 58,600
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,120 2.04 1.77 $ 24.21 $ 50,360
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,860 1.61 1.39 $ 35.45 $ 73,740
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,970 1.11 0.96 $ 28.56 $ 59,410
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,520 1.35 1.17 $ 31.51 $ 65,550
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,150 1.35 1.17 $ 36.71 $ 76,350
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,830 1.34 1.16 $ 25.69 $ 53,440




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Charleston, WV 400 3.91 3.38 $ 20.68 $ 43,010
Rapid City, SD 240 3.76 3.25 $ 18.62 $ 38,730
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 110 3.12 2.70 $ 20.41 $ 42,440
Santa Fe, NM 180 3.11 2.69 $ 24.83 $ 51,650
Wheeling, WV-OH 160 2.78 2.40 $ 17.49 $ 36,370
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 200 2.67 2.31 $ 17.30 $ 35,970
Lafayette, LA 490 2.58 2.23 $ 16.65 $ 34,620
Carson City, NV 70 2.37 2.05 $ 20.53 $ 42,700
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 1,220 2.37 2.05 $ 23.40 $ 48,660
Redding, CA 150 2.36 2.04 $ 20.75 $ 43,160