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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
159,940 2.6 % $ 26.05 $ 54,180 1.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 15.02 $ 18.73 $ 23.45 $ 31.06 $ 39.14
Annual Wage (2) $ 31,240 $ 38,960 $ 48,780 $ 64,590 $ 81,400


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 130,590 11.06 $ 26.15 $ 54,400
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 10,960 0.20 $ 25.28 $ 52,580
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 7,270 0.34 $ 24.88 $ 51,750
Employment Services 1,920 0.05 $ 23.84 $ 49,590
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,220 0.05 $ 31.60 $ 65,720

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 130,590 11.06 $ 26.15 $ 54,400
Other Investment Pools and Funds 140 0.81 $ 21.45 $ 44,620
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 7,270 0.34 $ 24.88 $ 51,750
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 10,960 0.20 $ 25.28 $ 52,580
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 40 0.18 $ 22.32 $ 46,420

Top paying industries for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers 40 0.02 $ 40.47 $ 84,180
Telecommunications 140 0.02 $ 34.93 $ 72,650
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 50 (7) $ 34.09 $ 70,910
Scientific Research and Development Services 50 0.01 $ 33.81 $ 70,320
Oil and Gas Extraction 50 0.05 $ 33.68 $ 70,050


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.



Map of employment of legal secretaries and administrative assistants by state, May 2022


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 28,830 1.63 1.51 $ 29.09 $ 60,500
New York 13,280 1.46 1.35 $ 30.98 $ 64,450
Florida 12,170 1.32 1.22 $ 23.52 $ 48,920
Texas 11,440 0.88 0.81 $ 24.48 $ 50,920
Illinois 9,260 1.57 1.45 $ 29.30 $ 60,940


Map of location quotient of legal secretaries and administrative assistants by state, May 2022


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 2,250 3.27 3.02 $ 40.14 $ 83,500
Delaware 1,250 2.74 2.54 $ 26.41 $ 54,940
West Virginia 1,310 1.94 1.79 $ 20.20 $ 42,020
California 28,830 1.63 1.51 $ 29.09 $ 60,500
Illinois 9,260 1.57 1.45 $ 29.30 $ 60,940


Map of annual mean wages of legal secretaries and administrative assistants by state, May 2022


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 2,250 3.27 3.02 $ 40.14 $ 83,500
Massachusetts (8) (8) (8) $ 31.58 $ 65,690
New York 13,280 1.46 1.35 $ 30.98 $ 64,450
Colorado 1,670 0.60 0.56 $ 30.45 $ 63,340
Maryland 1,690 0.64 0.59 $ 30.14 $ 62,690



Map of employment of legal secretaries and administrative assistants by area, May 2022


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 13,750 1.50 1.38 $ 32.24 $ 67,070
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,970 2.27 2.10 $ 24.38 $ 50,720
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 4,560 1.64 1.52 $ 28.13 $ 58,510
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,660 0.96 0.89 $ 25.37 $ 52,760
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,520 1.15 1.06 $ 25.78 $ 53,630
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,390 1.42 1.31 $ 36.20 $ 75,290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,310 1.09 1.01 $ 36.86 $ 76,680
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 2,960 1.99 1.84 $ 28.71 $ 59,720
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,590 1.17 1.08 $ 23.69 $ 49,280
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 2,340 1.15 1.06 $ 31.63 $ 65,780


Map of location quotient of legal secretaries and administrative assistants by area, May 2022


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 380 3.82 3.53 $ 21.52 $ 44,760
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,970 2.27 2.10 $ 24.38 $ 50,720
Carson City, NV 60 2.12 1.96 $ 25.35 $ 52,730
Santa Fe, NM 130 2.11 1.95 $ 24.67 $ 51,310
Baton Rouge, LA 810 2.10 1.94 $ 18.56 $ 38,610
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 2,960 1.99 1.84 $ 28.71 $ 59,720
Pittsburgh, PA 2,090 1.98 1.83 $ 23.17 $ 48,200
Portland-South Portland, ME 380 1.87 1.73 $ 25.73 $ 53,510
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 60 1.82 1.69 $ 20.98 $ 43,640
Jacksonville, NC 90 1.81 1.67 $ 20.18 $ 41,970


Map of annual mean wages of legal secretaries and administrative assistants by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,510 1.34 1.24 $ 38.81 $ 80,730
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,310 1.09 1.01 $ 36.86 $ 76,680
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,390 1.42 1.31 $ 36.20 $ 75,290
Boulder, CO 90 0.45 0.42 $ 34.94 $ 72,680
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (8) (8) (8) $ 34.54 $ 71,840
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 1,060 0.69 0.63 $ 32.47 $ 67,540
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 13,750 1.50 1.38 $ 32.24 $ 67,070
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 170 0.83 0.77 $ 31.90 $ 66,340
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 2,340 1.15 1.06 $ 31.63 $ 65,780
Salinas, CA 150 0.83 0.77 $ 31.18 $ 64,860

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 380 1.17 1.08 $ 17.47 $ 36,350
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 300 0.78 0.72 $ 19.12 $ 39,770
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 250 2.20 2.04 $ 23.80 $ 49,510
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 250 1.49 1.38 $ 18.59 $ 38,660
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 240 0.98 0.91 $ 18.86 $ 39,230

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 180 2.64 2.44 $ 17.65 $ 36,710
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 220 2.24 2.07 $ 14.89 $ 30,970
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 250 2.20 2.04 $ 23.80 $ 49,510
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 70 1.81 1.67 $ 18.17 $ 37,790
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 110 1.80 1.66 $ 17.86 $ 37,140

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.41 0.38 $ 26.62 $ 55,360
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 140 1.53 1.41 $ 25.14 $ 52,290
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 100 0.53 0.49 $ 24.89 $ 51,760
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 0.52 0.48 $ 24.84 $ 51,670
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.55 0.51 $ 24.70 $ 51,380


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023