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Job outlook for law secretaries in the United States
Law secretary job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected law secretary job growth rate is -8% from 2018-2028.
About -286,900 new jobs for law secretaries are projected over the next decade.
Law secretary salaries have increased 11% for law secretaries in the last 5 years.
There are over 138,121 law secretaries currently employed in the United States.
There are 9,261 active law secretary job openings in the US.
The average law secretary salary is $39,445.
Are law secretary jobs in demand?
Law secretary job and salary trends over time
Law secretary jobs over time
Law secretary job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 138,121 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 143,192 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 149,589 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 157,364 | 0.05% |
| 2017 | 165,362 | 0.05% |
Average law secretary salary over time
Law secretary salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,445 | $18.96 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $38,092 | $18.31 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $37,335 | $17.95 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | $36,022 | $17.32 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $35,579 | $17.11 | +2.3% |
Law secretary jobs by state
Most common states for law secretaries
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 51 | 7% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 75 | 6% |
| 3 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 336 | 4% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 158 | 3% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 42 | 3% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 24 | 3% |
| 7 | New York | 19,849,399 | 341 | 2% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 231 | 2% |
| 9 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 177 | 2% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 170 | 2% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 125 | 2% |
| 12 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 108 | 2% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 97 | 2% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 69 | 2% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 39 | 2% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 30 | 2% |
| 17 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 28 | 2% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 24 | 2% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 15 | 2% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 10 | 2% |
Law Secretary job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of law secretary experts
Ohio University
The University of Illinois at Chicago
California University of Pennsylvania
New England Law | Boston
What skills will help Law Secretaries earn the most?
Allison White: I'll put professionalism at the top of the list, and then specialized skills come second regarding salary. The medical secretary used to be the one to earn top dollar. Now that there are Medical Assisting programs and licenses, the student must seek the special skills in terminology and clinical service from that degree to earn top dollar in the medical field. Employers want office skills (filing, customer service, scheduling, etc.) and clinical skills (vitals, patient intake, registration, etc.). Still, I recommend that those who are inexperienced seek skills and licenses in the area of their personal interest (law office, government office, medical office, education, and more). I took courses in legal terminology and legal office procedures while completing my associate's degree. I also pursued a business analyst certification and the MOS certifications early on. Later, I continued my education by earning a bachelor's degree in a dual major (business administration and marketing).
What skills stand out on Law Secretary resumes?
Allison White: Knowledge of spreadsheets software such as MS Excel is a commonly sought-after skill. Employers want word processing and spreadsheet skills but often say they want high school graduates and pay accordingly. These skills aren't always taught in high school. Those in the field should seek these skills. Additionally, medical and legal assistants have highly sought after. Terminology courses for these specialized areas are sometimes offered at the vocational schools but are usually offered at the post-secondary level.
What soft skills should all Law Secretaries possess?
Allison White: Employers have told me repeatedly that soft skills are often the most important. They will ask for my reference after I've gotten to know a student and been able to identify their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want someone to take the initiative yet know when to ask questions. Customer service skills and confidentiality were also voiced by our internship supervisors. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a must. The applicant must be able to write well!!
What hard/technical skills are most important for Law Secretaries?
Allison White: In addition to production software skills, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we often taught database skills using MS Access. Every employer has an employee database and a customer/client database that requires input and sometimes maintenance by office personnel. Keyboarding (65+ wpm), basic bookkeeping/accounting, and filing skills are a must.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Law Secretary job market given the pandemic?
Mark Wojcik: The economy is in a "K-shaped recovery." Some businesses and industries are in the upper part of that "K," and they're doing well. Other businesses and industries are in decline -- the lower part of that "K." Law firms that represent clients in the upper part of that K are succeeding. These client companies are expanding and have legal work for firms.
Law firms also did well when their clients were able to take advantage of pandemic relief funding. These clients were often larger companies that benefitted from that government support.
I recommend that students and new lawyers get involved in bar associations. You'll be able to network and learn about which firms are doing well. Be active in a visible way -- volunteer to speak at an upcoming meeting or write an article for the bar journal or a committee newsletter.
What soft skills should all Law Secretaries possess?
Mark Wojcik: New lawyers need to have good communication skills. Even in an age of Zoom meetings, new lawyers have to be able to pick up a phone and be comfortable having a phone conversation. Law firm partners tell me that their associates know how to text someone but they don't know how to call someone. If you're a law student or new lawyer and you recognize that you're uncomfortable making phone calls, pick up a phone and practice!
When lawyers do text or email, it's important to read that message before you hit send. You might be surprised, for example, to see that AutoCorrect changed the name of your client. Read that message before you click send. And if you can't read it, why should anyone else?
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Law Secretaries?
Brian Kohlhepp: Largely, this would be acquiring a Master's degree. Many folks obtain this degree for an advancement at their current employer or in order to make themselves a more attractive candidate to the overall job field.
Peter Towne
Assistant Director of Career Services and Pro Bono CoordinatorNew England Law | Boston
Career Services Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Law Secretary job market given the pandemic?
Peter Towne: The legal world has been fortunate in not being hit as hard by the pandemic as other sectors of the economy. As with others though, we've seen a big shift towards remote work and increased flexibility in the workplace location. Thankfully, even now with many courthouses shifting to remote hearings and appearances for the time being, the past year has proven that most legal work can be done in a remote capacity and so there are still jobs and opportunity to be had. A silver lining here as well is that anything that was litigation based and had significant slowdowns due to the initial shutdown, will still likely see consistent work increases moving forward due to the now mounting backlog in the court system that will keep litigators busy for years to come.
Also, we are likely to see other upward shifts in legal work similar to other economic down turns, as there tends to be an uptick in the kinds of legal work that helps sort out the challenges faced when things go poorly. In other words, any areas where there are widespread economic challenges, the fallout tends to create legal work. For example, we'll likely see increases in bankruptcy filings, mortgage/foreclosure related litigation, evictions/housing disputes, issues around unemployment benefits, and general consumer protection actions related to consumer debt and predatory lending practices. Interestingly, despite the challenges of the pandemic, another area that has seen consistent work is real estate, resulting from the positive impact of lower borrowing costs, and perhaps some urban flight. There also is likely to be a continued uptick in divorce filings and family law related disputes.
Long term there will inevitably be other unique or novel challenges that crop up that attorneys will be called in to assist with as a result of the current crisis. Some of these may be related to contract disputes in the entertainment industry or event planning, as well as possible changes in the insurance landscape relating to business interruption insurance, workers compensation coverage, or health insurance issues.
What technical skills for a Law Secretary stand out to employers?
Peter Towne: In a typical law office or other legal setting, technical skills aren't the biggest priority as much of the work in the legal world was still highly analog prior to 2020. Overall, the expectations are set fairly low in this category for legal practitioners as a result, but there is a certain amount of basic skill that is assumed in using software for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The past year has created some opportunity for those that are skilled in a virtual setting, i.e. using video conferencing or knowing how to file documents electronically, to stand out.
I would encourage any law student to take advantage of the various opportunities in law school to learn as much as they can about using legal research platforms, including certifications offered by Lexis and Westlaw. Though it can be difficult to predict what methods a legal employer will use for this part of the job, the skills are easily transferrable. In a similar way, familiarity with practice management, billing, or administrative software can be an advantage. It may not be a "need to have" for a candidate to get a great job, but certainly a "nice to have" that can help boost a candidates profile.
What's a good job out of college for Law Secretaries?
Peter Towne: Out of law school, a good job can look very different depending on each person's interests and aspirations. That being said, generally a good job is one in legal practice, i.e. requires bar passage a license to practice law, or a position that requires a level of skill or knowledge that having a juris doctor degree provides an advantage, such as in compliance, regulatory affairs, corporate governance, data privacy/security, HR, or risk management.