JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$55,570
Employment, U.S.156,280
Median hourly wage$26.72
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$36,500$44,450$55,570$71,970$91,730
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama1,840$45,9500.86
Alaska660$61,2802.03
Arizona2,600$55,1200.80
Arkansas610$41,4100.47
California27,470$62,8601.50
Colorado2,030$59,4900.70
Connecticut1,090$66,2200.64
Delaware980$66,1302.01
District of Columbia1,940$99,2802.75
Florida10,920$48,5101.09
Georgia3,260$48,4600.66
Hawaii680$49,4601.07
Idaho420$41,8800.49
Illinois8,030$52,7901.31
Indiana2,670$47,7400.83
Iowa1,120$46,5900.71
Kansas1,600$36,6201.11
Kentucky2,810$39,3001.40
Louisiana2,460$48,0501.26
Maine860$48,0401.33
Maryland1,670$61,4400.60
Massachusetts4,020$62,1201.10
Michigan3,580$56,8700.81
Minnesota2,410$63,1800.81
Mississippi820$45,1400.70
Missouri3,310$38,5601.12
Montana730Not available1.42
Nebraska1,310$45,8001.28
Nevada1,430$56,4700.92
New Hampshire300$51,8300.44
New Jersey4,160$63,0800.97
New Mexico1,400$57,8001.59
New York9,800$72,2301.01
North Carolina3,780$43,7200.76
North Dakota360$53,5400.83
Ohio4,360$51,0800.78
Oklahoma1,290$45,9500.75
Oregon1,590$59,6100.80
Pennsylvania6,230$51,4301.02
Rhode Island390$63,0200.77
South Carolina2,280$52,8400.98
South Dakota560$47,7901.21
Tennessee2,980$45,3400.90
Texas13,380$45,9400.95
Utah940$52,8600.54
Vermont$49,090
Virginia2,380$55,3200.58
Washington3,950$58,3601.11
West Virginia1,200$46,9601.69
Wisconsin1,210$55,4100.41
Wyoming280$46,9601.00

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Paralegals and Legal Assistants30.980
2Court, Municipal, and License Clerks1-20.975
3Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive1-20.973
4Word Processors and Typists1-20.962
5Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers1-20.962
6Medical Records Specialists30.959
7Correspondence Clerks1-20.957
8Office Clerks, General1-20.957
9Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants30.955
10File Clerks1-20.949

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Private Detectives and InvestigatorsCritical Thinking1.120.938
New Accounts ClerksPersuasion0.760.935
Tax PreparersMathematics0.880.929
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk ClerksManagement of Personnel Resources1.120.927
Brokerage ClerksMathematics1.380.921
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing ClerksMathematics1.260.917
Billing and Posting ClerksMathematics0.880.916
Library TechniciansLearning Strategies0.760.913

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, excluding software Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Medical procedure coding software8 of 208.2x
Medical condition coding software7 of 208.1x
Google Workspace software6 of 2010.7x
Microsoft Dynamics10 of 203.9x
Zoom7 of 206.2x
Electronic health record EHR software4 of 2018.5x
Alpha Software Alpha Five3 of 2046.2x
IBM Check Processing Control System CPSC3 of 2046.2x
St. Paul Travelers e-CARMA3 of 2046.2x
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite7 of 205.1x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.00
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.00
WritingEssential skill 3.88 3.88
SpeakingEssential skill 3.75 3.25
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.00
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.00 3.00
MonitoringEssential skill 3.00 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 2.88
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Active LearningEssential skill 2.75 2.88
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.38 2.12
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.25 2.12
MathematicsEssential skill 2.12 2.12
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
InstructingTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.12 1.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.00 1.88
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.00 1.75
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.00 1.12
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.25not rated
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.25not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.25not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
ScienceEssential skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Administrative 4.45 6.39
English Language 4.37 4.60
Law and Government 4.18 4.23
Customer and Personal Service 3.93 4.65
Computers and Electronics 3.90 4.30
Administration and Management 3.16 2.84
Public Safety and Security 3.11 2.52
Communications and Media 2.80 2.09
Economics and Accounting 2.67 2.02
Education and Training 2.63 2.89
Personnel and Human Resources 2.59 2.98
Telecommunications 2.56not rated
Sales and Marketing 2.51 2.21
Mathematics 2.33 2.24
Production and Processing 2.25 1.77
Therapy and Counseling 2.18 2.11
Psychology 1.90 1.53
Sociology and Anthropology 1.84 1.57
Foreign Language 1.71not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.64not rated
Geography 1.60not rated
Transportation 1.40not rated
Design 1.36not rated
History and Archeology 1.31not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.26not rated
Mechanical 1.15not rated
Biology 1.13not rated
Chemistry 1.12not rated
Physics 1.12not rated
Building and Construction 1.00not rated
Engineering and Technology 1.00not rated
Fine Arts 1.00not rated
Food Production 1.00not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Near Vision 4.00 4.62
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.00
Written Comprehension 4.00 4.00
Oral Expression 3.88 4.00
Written Expression 3.88 4.00
Speech Recognition 3.75 3.62
Speech Clarity 3.75 3.12
Information Ordering 3.12 3.00
Selective Attention 3.12 2.38
Category Flexibility 3.00 3.00
Deductive Reasoning 3.00 3.00
Problem Sensitivity 3.00 3.00
Inductive Reasoning 2.88 2.88
Far Vision 2.75 2.88
Fluency of Ideas 2.75 2.88
Originality 2.62 2.25
Time Sharing 2.50 2.00
Perceptual Speed 2.38 2.00
Visualization 2.25 2.12
Auditory Attention 2.25 1.62
Number Facility 2.12 2.12
Speed of Closure 2.12 2.12
Flexibility of Closure 2.12 2.00
Mathematical Reasoning 2.12 2.00
Memorization 2.12 1.88
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.12 1.88
Finger Dexterity 2.00 1.88
Hearing Sensitivity 2.00 1.50
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 1.50
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.00 1.25
Trunk Strength 2.00 1.25
Manual Dexterity 2.00 1.12
Control Precision 2.00 1.00
Depth Perception 1.38 0.38
Dynamic Strength 1.38 0.38
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Multilimb Coordination 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 42
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server
  • Public access to electronic court records PACER
  • Quicken
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Thomson Reuters Elite Billing Manager
  • Thomson Reuters Westlaw
  • Transcription software
  • Vertican Technologies Collection Master
  • Web browser software
  • Web conferencing software
  • Web page design and editing software
  • WordPerfect

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR2,2303.21$35,560
Santa Fe, NM1903.00$67,600
Anchorage, AK4802.70$61,280
Charleston, WV2602.50$49,130
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA14,9302.37$62,620
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA3,4202.22$61,780
Helena, MT1002.15$48,460
Naples-Marco Island, FL3702.12$49,920
Albuquerque, NM7801.91$60,860
Mayaguez, PR1001.85$21,840

More metros, other thresholds