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The differences between legal analysts and legal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a legal analyst, becoming a legal assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a legal analyst has an average salary of $57,497, which is higher than the $42,387 average annual salary of a legal assistant.
The top three skills for a legal analyst include legal research, litigation and powerpoint. The most important skills for a legal assistant are litigation, legal correspondence, and discovery responses.
| Legal Analyst | Legal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $57,497 | $42,387 |
| Hourly rate | $27.64 | $20.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 6,478 | 9,560 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A legal analyst is responsible for evaluating legal documents and reports to support and resolve legal matters by complying with state regulations and legislation procedures. Legal analysts compile researches to understand legal cases and coordinate with clients for in-depth counseling and executing necessary actions. They also attend court hearings and sessions to represent clients and investigate lawsuits. A legal analyst must have excellent knowledge of the law industry to examine legal contracts and assist clients with case resources.
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.
Legal analysts and legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Analyst | Legal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $57,497 | $42,387 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $98,000 | Between $30,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Schiff Hardin | Roberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey Pc |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal analyst and a legal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Legal Analyst | Legal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Law | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between legal analysts' and legal assistants' demographics:
| Legal Analyst | Legal Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% | Male, 17.4% Female, 82.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 Percentage | 10% | 9% |