Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Median salary

$55,570

Average salary

$60,620

Employment

156,280

Projected growth

5.8% decline

Annual openings

19,600

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 0.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Administrativeimportance 4.5/5
English Languageimportance 4.4/5
Law and Governmentimportance 4.2/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.9/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.9/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.2/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail5.0/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
Contact With Others4.4/5
Telephone Conversations4.3/5
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.2/5
Spend Time Sitting4.1/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Receptionists and Information Clerks98% skill match
Interpreters and Translators97% skill match
Childcare Workers97% skill match
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks97% skill match
Manicurists and Pedicurists96% skill match
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks96% skill match
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks96% skill match
New Accounts Clerks96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.8/5
Persuasionimportance 2.4/5
Negotiationimportance 2.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

A1-Law
ADP Workforce Now
AbacusNext HotDocs
Aderant CompuLaw
Amortization calculation software
Appointment scheduling software
Billing software
Case management software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cooperation
Cautiousness
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
EnterprisingMedium
SocialMedium
InvestigativeLow
ArtisticLow
RealisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where legal secretaries and administrative assistants make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).