Average Salary for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
SOC 43-6012 · Office and Administrative Support Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in the United States is $54,140 ($26.03/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $35,530 at the 10th percentile to $87,660 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 154,540 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 26.6% since 2014.
Median Annual
$54,140
Mean Annual
$60,320
10th Pct
$35,530
75th Pct
$72,090
Employment
154,540
Salary Distribution
$36k
10th
$43k
25th
$54k
Median
$72k
75th
$88k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $106,130 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $88,600 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $81,210 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $75,620 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $74,400 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $73,740 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $67,980 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $67,300 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $66,570 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $65,750 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,010 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $63,970 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $63,580 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $63,080 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $62,630 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $101,170 |
| New York | $74,400 |
| Delaware | $63,740 |
| Maryland | $63,110 |
| Rhode Island | $61,970 |
| Massachusetts | $61,440 |
| Connecticut | $61,440 |
| California | $61,320 |
| Minnesota | $61,300 |
| New Jersey | $60,400 |
| Washington | $59,680 |
| Alaska | $59,600 |
| Illinois | $58,070 |
| Hawaii | $57,030 |
| Colorado | $56,560 |
| Michigan | $56,030 |
| Oregon | $55,590 |
| Florida | $53,790 |
| North Dakota | $53,460 |
| Nevada | $51,540 |
| Virginia | $51,010 |
| Georgia | $51,000 |
| Maine | $49,950 |
| New Hampshire | $49,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,330 |
| Texas | $49,150 |
| Wisconsin | $48,980 |
| Guam | $48,660 |
| Arizona | $47,990 |
| New Mexico | $47,900 |
| Nebraska | $47,770 |
| Missouri | $47,650 |
| Oklahoma | $47,440 |
| Indiana | $47,260 |
| Vermont | $47,050 |
| West Virginia | $46,940 |
| Ohio | $46,710 |
| Alabama | $46,390 |
| Virgin Islands | $46,180 |
| Utah | $46,050 |
| South Dakota | $46,020 |
| Tennessee | $44,280 |
| Mississippi | $43,830 |
| North Carolina | $43,830 |
| Montana | $43,230 |
| Wyoming | $42,590 |
| Louisiana | $42,560 |
| Idaho | $41,920 |
| Kansas | $41,640 |
| South Carolina | $39,670 |
| Arkansas | $39,400 |
| Kentucky | $38,330 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,810 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Utilities | $82,390 |
| Utilities | $82,390 |
| Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations | $81,270 |
| Broadcasting and Content Providers | $80,760 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $79,140 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $79,140 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $76,940 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $76,110 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $75,210 |
| Information | $74,260 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $70,670 |
| Postal Service (Federal Government) | $70,660 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $70,660 |
| Postal Service (Federal Government) | $70,660 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $70,340 |
| Publishing Industries | $69,930 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $69,200 |
| Other Insurance Related Activities | $68,110 |
| Real Estate | $66,880 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $66,840 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $65,930 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $65,760 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $65,690 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $65,690 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $65,690 |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $65,400 |
| Wholesale Trade | $64,100 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $64,100 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $64,020 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $64,020 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $63,920 |
| Insurance Carriers | $63,690 |
| Hospitals | $63,440 |
| Telecommunications | $63,200 |
| Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers | $62,640 |
| Office Administrative Services | $61,550 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $61,470 |
| Educational Services | $61,270 |
| Finance and Insurance | $59,990 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $58,440 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $58,210 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $58,210 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | $57,570 |
| Educational Services | $57,340 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $57,340 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $57,160 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $56,640 |
| Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing | $56,640 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $56,280 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $56,220 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $56,170 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $56,160 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $55,910 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | $54,990 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $54,270 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $54,140 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $53,690 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $53,690 |
| Legal Services | $53,620 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $53,620 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $53,620 |
| Other Investment Pools and Funds | $53,240 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $51,960 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $51,780 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $51,690 |
| Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles | $50,760 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $50,000 |
| Construction | $49,710 |
| Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $48,070 |
| Employment Services | $47,800 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $46,540 |
| Residential Building Construction | $45,760 |
| Construction of Buildings | $45,760 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $45,050 |
| Social Assistance | $44,610 |
| Temporary Help Services | $43,680 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $43,470 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $43,470 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $41,460 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | $39,770 |
| Business Support Services | $38,430 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $37,370 |
| Offices of Physicians | $31,200 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $31,200 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $54,140 |
| 2023 | $50,680 |
| 2022 | $48,780 |
| 2021 | $47,710 |
| 2020 | $48,980 |
| 2019 | $47,300 |
| 2018 | $46,360 |
| 2017 | $44,730 |
| 2016 | $44,180 |
| 2015 | $43,200 |
| 2014 | $42,770 |