Post job

Administrative assistant lead vs legal assistant

The differences between administrative assistant leads and legal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an administrative assistant lead, becoming a legal assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a legal assistant has an average salary of $42,387, which is higher than the $39,864 average annual salary of an administrative assistant lead.

The top three skills for an administrative assistant lead include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a legal assistant are litigation, legal correspondence, and discovery responses.

Administrative assistant lead vs legal assistant overview

Administrative Assistant LeadLegal Assistant
Yearly salary$39,864$42,387
Hourly rate$19.17$20.38
Growth rate-8%14%
Number of jobs50,1679,560
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age5046
Years of experience212

What does an administrative assistant lead do?

Lead administrative assistant job responsibilities include providing administrative support to ensure the organized operation of the office. They assist managers and employees through a range of tasks related to the organization, including ordering supplies, scheduling support meetings, filing confidential files, and booking travel arrangements. Typically, they also handle all incoming and outgoing communication through phones and support the preparation and distribution of memos, letters, and company-related forms. Moreover, they report to a direct manager or head of a unit/department.

What does a legal assistant do?

Legal assistants are responsible for doing most of the administrative or clerical needs of a lawyer. They support lawyers by preparing documents for hearings or trials, conducting research for legal cases, organizing files and records, managing schedules, manning phone lines, communicating with legal clients, documenting meeting minutes, and setting up appointments. It is important for legal assistants to have a basic knowledge of laws and the judiciary system so that they can provide better support to lawyers. They should also be detail-oriented, organized, and excellent communicators.

Administrative assistant lead vs legal assistant salary

Administrative assistant leads and legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Administrative Assistant LeadLegal Assistant
Average salary$39,864$42,387
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $59,000Between $30,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CityBrookline, MAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateConnecticutCalifornia
Best paying companyUniversity of WashingtonRoberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey Pc
Best paying industryManufacturingProfessional

Differences between administrative assistant lead and legal assistant education

There are a few differences between an administrative assistant lead and a legal assistant in terms of educational background:

Administrative Assistant LeadLegal Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBusinessLegal Support Services
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Administrative assistant lead vs legal assistant demographics

Here are the differences between administrative assistant leads' and legal assistants' demographics:

Administrative Assistant LeadLegal Assistant
Average age5046
Gender ratioMale, 28.3% Female, 71.7%Male, 17.4% Female, 82.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage6%9%

Differences between administrative assistant lead and legal assistant duties and responsibilities

Administrative assistant lead example responsibilities.

  • Manage upper level calendar scheduling, arrange domestic and international travel, prepare PowerPoint presentations, correspondence and process expense reports.
  • Perform administrative duties of the store, including POS data, bookkeeping, and file management.
  • Maintain and process weekly payroll, daily monitoring of employee's attendance record using in- house payroll system.
  • Interview applicants, approve and process employee payroll and update department's employee handbook and equipment operation packet.
  • Prepare PowerPoint presentations/excel reports for partners and senior management.
  • Dispense and deliver patient medications to patients throughout the hospital.
  • Show more

Legal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Complete accounting and payroll functions.- gather and process client documents.- manage daily operations of office.
  • Manage document production with various internal departments for response to DCAA investigations and third party subpoenas.
  • Assist patent attorneys by managing invention disclosure documentation and relate correspondence with outside counsel and USPTO.
  • Relocate temporarily to Chicago, Illinois to facilitate and manage electronic discovery exchange in preparation for arbitration.
  • Perform administrative tasks for managing partner and trial attorney at a medical malpractice litigation firm including daily transcription and stenography.
  • Gather and prepare documents for binders/notebooks for depositions, arbitration, hearings/trial; manage incoming document production mostly for litigation purposes.
  • Show more

Administrative assistant lead vs legal assistant skills

Common administrative assistant lead skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Patient Care, 13%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Medical Assistants, 5%
  • Vital Signs, 4%
Common legal assistant skills
  • Litigation, 12%
  • Legal Correspondence, 10%
  • Discovery Responses, 6%
  • Legal Research, 6%
  • Law Firm, 5%
  • Subpoenas, 5%

Browse office and administrative jobs