Legal adviser demographics and statistics in the US
Legal adviser demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal adviser demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal adviser estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about legal advisers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 13,184 legal advisers currently employed in the United States.
- 46.9% of all legal advisers are women, while 53.1% are men.
- The average legal adviser age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal advisers is White (75.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.9%), Asian (6.5%) and Black or African American (5.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 10% of all legal advisers are LGBT.
- Legal advisers are 51% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Legal adviser demographics by:
Legal adviser gender statistics
46.9% of legal advisers are women and 53.1% of legal advisers are men.
- Male, 53.1%
- Female, 46.9%
Legal adviser gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 53.1% |
| Female | 46.9% |
Legal adviser gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$48,979
Female income
$45,809
Legal adviser gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal adviser positions over time. Currently, 46.9% of legal advisers are female.
Legal adviser gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.05% | 39.95% |
| 2011 | 59.26% | 40.74% |
| 2012 | 59.08% | 40.92% |
| 2013 | 58.46% | 41.54% |
| 2014 | 58.37% | 41.63% |
| 2015 | 55.72% | 44.28% |
| 2016 | 55.62% | 44.38% |
| 2017 | 55.73% | 44.27% |
| 2018 | 56.13% | 43.87% |
| 2019 | 55.41% | 44.59% |
| 2020 | 53.51% | 46.49% |
| 2021 | 53.08% | 46.92% |
Legal adviser related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal advisers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Legal Adviser | 53% | 47% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Legal adviser demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal advisers is White, which makes up 75.3% of all legal advisers. Comparatively, 7.9% of legal advisers are Hispanic or Latino and 6.5% of legal advisers are Asian.
- White, 75.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- Black or African American, 5.7%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Legal adviser race
| Legal adviser race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 5.7% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Legal adviser race and ethnicity over time
See how legal adviser racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal adviser race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.92% | 5.24% | 4.89% | 6.10% |
| 2011 | 81.69% | 5.56% | 5.05% | 5.94% |
| 2012 | 81.77% | 5.18% | 5.22% | 6.13% |
| 2013 | 81.52% | 5.27% | 5.25% | 5.86% |
| 2014 | 80.86% | 5.77% | 5.48% | 6.00% |
| 2015 | 80.77% | 5.43% | 5.57% | 6.42% |
| 2016 | 80.20% | 5.49% | 5.73% | 6.71% |
| 2017 | 80.23% | 5.46% | 5.70% | 6.48% |
| 2018 | 79.59% | 5.64% | 5.63% | 7.09% |
| 2019 | 79.12% | 5.62% | 6.01% | 7.16% |
| 2020 | 76.60% | 5.52% | 6.32% | 7.30% |
| 2021 | 75.27% | 5.66% | 6.48% | 7.89% |
Legal adviser wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $48,528 |
| White | $50,044 |
| Black or African American | $46,538 |
| Asian | $52,615 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $47,400 |
Average legal adviser age
See how the average age of legal advisers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal adviser age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Legal adviser age breakdown
The average age of legal advisers is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the legal adviser population.
Legal adviser age breakdown
| Legal Adviser Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Legal adviser educational attainment
The most common degree for legal advisers is bachelor's degree, with 48% of legal advisers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 27% and doctoral degree degree at 18%.
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Doctorate, 27%
- Master's, 18%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Legal advisers by degree level
| Legal adviser degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 48% |
| Doctorate | 27% |
| Master's | 18% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Legal adviser jobs you might like
Legal adviser employment statistics
Most legal advisers work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where legal advisers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal advisers work.
Legal adviser jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 20% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 29% |
Legal adviser jobs by company type
Employees with the legal adviser job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal advisers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Legal adviser jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 18% |
| Private | 51% |
| Government | 23% |
Legal adviser jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal advisers are professional, government and finance.
Legal adviser industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 23% |
| Government | 17% |
| Fortune 500 | 8% |
| Finance | 7% |
| Education | 7% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Construction | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
Legal adviser turnover and employment statistics
Legal adviser unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal advisers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal adviser unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal adviser unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average legal adviser tenure
The average legal adviser stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,945 legal advisers resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal adviser tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Legal adviser LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal advisers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| State Appellate Clerk | 5.54% | 66,802 |
| Contractor-Paralegal | 6.63% | 15,609 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legal Adviser | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar legal adviser jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| State Appellate Clerk | 5.54% | 66,802 |
| Contractor-Paralegal | 6.63% | 15,609 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal advisers
The most common foreign language among legal advisers is Spanish at 40.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 15.1% and Russian is the third-most popular at 7.7%.
- Spanish, 40.5%
- French, 15.1%
- Russian, 7.7%
- Arabic, 6.0%
- Italian, 4.9%
- Other, 25.8%
Legal adviser languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 40.5% |
| French | 15.1% |
| Russian | 7.7% |
| Arabic | 6.0% |
| Italian | 4.9% |
| Other | 25.8% |
