Careers / Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$55,570

United States, 2025

Employment

156,280

United States, 2025

Typical education

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
43-6012.00
Job zone
3
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
  • Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
  • Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  • Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  • Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.
  • Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
  • Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.
  • Receive and place telephone calls.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$36,500
10th
$44,450
25th
$55,570
Median
$71,970
75th
$91,730
90th

10th percentile

$36,500

25th percentile

$44,450

75th percentile

$71,970

90th percentile

$91,730

Most important skills

  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Writing3.9
  • Speaking3.8
  • Time Management3.3
  • Service Orientation3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Social Perceptiveness3.0
  • Coordination3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving2.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.8

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 10 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

10

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Reading Comprehension4.04.0Not selected4.0
Active Listening4.04.0Not selected4.0
Writing3.93.9Not selected3.9
Speaking3.83.3Not selected3.3
Time Management3.33.0Not selected3.0
Service Orientation3.03.0Not selected3.0
Critical Thinking3.03.0Not selected3.0
Monitoring3.03.0Not selected3.0
Social Perceptiveness3.03.0Not selected3.0
Coordination3.02.9Not selected2.9

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
DC$99,2801,9402025
San Jose, CA$87,2706602025
San Francisco, CA$79,4102,7402025
Santa Cruz, CA$77,780502025
Washington, DC$77,2202,9702025
Bridgeport, CT$75,9502602025
New York, NY$75,9209,5802025
Salinas, CA$75,150802025
Hartford, CT$74,7904702025
Santa Maria, CA$74,3601602025
NY$72,2309,8002025
Oxnard, CA$71,6705902025
Reno, NV$71,130702025
Lexington Park, MD$70,660302025
Manchester, NH$69,7201202025
Carson City, NV$67,670402025
Santa Fe, NM$67,6001902025
New Haven, CT$67,2901602025
CT$66,2201,0902025
DE$66,1309802025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.