Legal aide demographics and statistics in the US
Legal aide demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal aide demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal aide 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 aides after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 161,559 legal aides currently employed in the United States.
- 56.3% of all legal aides are women, while 43.8% are men.
- The average legal aide age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal aides is White (60.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.6%), Black or African American (8.7%) and Asian (5.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 97% of what men earned.
- 9% of all legal aides are LGBT.
- Legal aides are 56% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Legal aide demographics by:
Legal aide gender statistics
56.3% of legal aides are women and 43.8% of legal aides are men.
- Female, 56.2%
- Male, 43.8%
Legal aide gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 56.2% |
| Male | 43.8% |
Legal aide gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$55,021
Female income
$53,492
Legal aide gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal aide positions over time. Currently, 56.3% of legal aides are female.
Legal aide gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 41.23% | 58.77% |
| 2011 | 39.85% | 60.15% |
| 2012 | 40.44% | 59.56% |
| 2013 | 41.03% | 58.97% |
| 2014 | 38.63% | 61.37% |
| 2015 | 43.42% | 56.58% |
| 2016 | 40.66% | 59.34% |
| 2017 | 44.22% | 55.78% |
| 2018 | 43.48% | 56.52% |
| 2019 | 39.64% | 60.36% |
| 2020 | 41.56% | 58.44% |
| 2021 | 43.75% | 56.25% |
Legal aide related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal aides with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, advisory title officer and court monitor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance Court Stenographer | 6% | 94% |
| Paralegal Secretary | 6% | 94% |
| Legal Transcriptionist | 6% | 94% |
| Legal Aide | 44% | 56% |
| Court Monitor | 66% | 34% |
| Advisory Title Officer | 77% | 23% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Legal aide demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal aides is White, which makes up 60.0% of all legal aides. Comparatively, 20.6% of legal aides are Hispanic or Latino and 8.7% of legal aides are Black or African American.
- White, 60.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 20.6%
- Black or African American, 8.7%
- Asian, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Legal aide race
| Legal aide race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.6% |
| Black or African American | 8.7% |
| Asian | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Legal aide race and ethnicity over time
See how legal aide racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal aide race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.69% | 9.86% | 4.56% | 16.57% |
| 2011 | 67.63% | 9.47% | 4.51% | 16.12% |
| 2012 | 64.85% | 9.44% | 4.99% | 18.18% |
| 2013 | 66.56% | 9.53% | 4.22% | 16.93% |
| 2014 | 66.40% | 8.35% | 4.47% | 18.30% |
| 2015 | 65.70% | 8.63% | 4.62% | 18.02% |
| 2016 | 64.03% | 9.76% | 4.72% | 18.73% |
| 2017 | 64.07% | 9.37% | 4.15% | 19.75% |
| 2018 | 64.09% | 9.32% | 4.57% | 19.02% |
| 2019 | 65.45% | 8.41% | 5.14% | 18.74% |
| 2020 | 61.21% | 9.03% | 4.69% | 20.25% |
| 2021 | 59.98% | 8.70% | 5.55% | 20.59% |
Legal aide wage gap by race
According to our data, asian legal aides have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown legal aides have the lowest average salary at $52,898.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $52,898 |
| White | $54,095 |
| Black or African American | $56,955 |
| Asian | $57,012 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,268 |
Average legal aide age
See how the average age of legal aides varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal aide age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 33 | 50 |
| Unknown | 38.5 | 45 |
| Asian | 39 | 38 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 32 | 41 |
| White | 39 | 50 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 47.5 |
Legal aide age breakdown
The average age of legal aides is 40+ years years old, representing 65% of the legal aide population.
Legal aide age breakdown
| Legal Aide Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 65% |
| 30-40 years | 23% |
| 20-30 years | 12% |
Legal aide educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Doctorate, 14%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Legal aides by degree level
| Legal aide degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 56% |
| Doctorate | 14% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Master's | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Legal aide jobs you might like
Legal aide wage gap by degree level
According to the data, legal aides with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $61,157 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, legal aides earn a median annual income of $58,677 compared to $58,231 for legal aides with an Master's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,231 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $52,474 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,677 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,157 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,804 |
Legal aide employment statistics
Most legal aides work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where legal aides work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal aides work.
Legal aide jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Legal aide jobs by company type
Employees with the legal aide job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal aides prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Legal aide jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 7% |
| Private | 56% |
| Government | 26% |
Legal aide jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal aides are professional, government and education.
Legal aide industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 34% |
| Government | 20% |
| Education | 8% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Legal aide turnover and employment statistics
Legal aide unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal aides between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal aide unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal aide unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.83% |
| 2011 | 6.37% |
| 2012 | 6.43% |
| 2013 | 5.62% |
| 2014 | 4.30% |
| 2015 | 3.48% |
| 2016 | 3.07% |
| 2017 | 2.56% |
| 2018 | 2.62% |
| 2019 | 2.49% |
| 2020 | 3.92% |
| 2021 | 4.04% |
Average legal aide tenure
The average legal aide stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 856 legal aides resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal aide tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 44% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 7% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Legal aide LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal aides 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Court Recording Monitor | 4.96% | 5,628 |
| Craps Manager | 7.68% | 374 |
| Legal Aide | 9.16% | - |
| Tariff Expert | 12.79% | 8,317 |
Similar legal aide jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Court Recording Monitor | 4.96% | 5,628 |
| Craps Manager | 7.68% | 374 |
| Tariff Expert | 12.79% | 8,317 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal aides
The most common foreign language among legal aides is Spanish at 45.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.9% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 8.9%.
- Spanish, 45.5%
- French, 9.9%
- Mandarin, 8.9%
- Chinese, 6.9%
- Cantonese, 5.9%
- Other, 22.9%
Legal aide languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 45.5% |
| French | 9.9% |
| Mandarin | 8.9% |
| Chinese | 6.9% |
| Cantonese | 5.9% |
| Other | 22.9% |
