Legal extern demographics and statistics in the US
Legal extern demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal extern demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal extern 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 externs after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 158,049 legal externs currently employed in the United States.
- 54.0% of all legal externs are women, while 46.0% are men.
- The average legal extern age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal externs is White (75.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.8%), Asian (6.4%) and Black or African American (5.6%).
- Legal externs are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Washington, DC pays an annual average wage of $105,799, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women legal externs earned 92% of what men earned.
- District of Columbia is the best state for legal externs to live.
- Legal externs are 41% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Legal extern demographics by:
Legal extern gender statistics
54.0% of legal externs are women and 46.0% of legal externs are men.
- Female, 54.0%
- Male, 46.0%
Legal extern gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 54.0% |
| Male | 46.0% |
Legal extern gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$39,018
Female income
$35,926
Legal extern gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal extern positions over time. Currently, 54.0% of legal externs are female.
Legal extern gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 53.12% | 46.88% |
| 2011 | 52.30% | 47.70% |
| 2012 | 52.11% | 47.89% |
| 2013 | 51.47% | 48.53% |
| 2014 | 51.37% | 48.63% |
| 2015 | 48.67% | 51.33% |
| 2016 | 48.57% | 51.43% |
| 2017 | 48.68% | 51.32% |
| 2018 | 49.09% | 50.91% |
| 2019 | 48.36% | 51.64% |
| 2020 | 46.45% | 53.55% |
| 2021 | 46.02% | 53.98% |
Legal extern related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal externs 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 Extern | 46% | 54% |
| 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 extern demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal externs is White, which makes up 75.6% of all legal externs. Comparatively, 7.8% of legal externs are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of legal externs are Asian.
- White, 75.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Black or African American, 5.6%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Legal extern race
| Legal extern race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Legal extern race and ethnicity over time
See how legal extern racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal extern race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.23% | 5.15% | 4.80% | 6.00% |
| 2011 | 82.00% | 5.46% | 4.96% | 5.83% |
| 2012 | 82.07% | 5.09% | 5.13% | 6.02% |
| 2013 | 81.83% | 5.17% | 5.17% | 5.75% |
| 2014 | 81.16% | 5.67% | 5.39% | 5.90% |
| 2015 | 81.07% | 5.33% | 5.48% | 6.32% |
| 2016 | 80.50% | 5.39% | 5.64% | 6.60% |
| 2017 | 80.53% | 5.37% | 5.61% | 6.38% |
| 2018 | 79.89% | 5.54% | 5.54% | 6.99% |
| 2019 | 79.42% | 5.52% | 5.92% | 7.05% |
| 2020 | 76.91% | 5.43% | 6.23% | 7.20% |
| 2021 | 75.57% | 5.56% | 6.39% | 7.79% |
Legal extern wage gap by race
According to our data, asian legal externs have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american legal externs have the lowest average salary at $36,633.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $38,575 |
| White | $40,067 |
| Black or African American | $36,633 |
| Asian | $42,621 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $37,472 |
Average legal extern age
See how the average age of legal externs varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal extern 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 extern age breakdown
The average age of legal externs is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the legal extern population.
Legal extern age breakdown
| Legal Extern Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Legal extern educational attainment
The most common degree for legal externs is bachelor's degree, with 68% of legal externs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 19% and doctoral degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Doctorate, 19%
- Master's, 6%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Legal externs by degree level
| Legal extern degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 68% |
| Doctorate | 19% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Associate | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Legal extern jobs you might like
Legal extern employment statistics
Most legal externs work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where legal externs work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal externs work.
Legal extern jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Legal extern jobs by company type
Employees with the legal extern job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal externs prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Legal extern jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 13% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 35% |
| Government | 41% |
Legal extern jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal externs are government, professional and education.
Legal extern industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 28% |
| Professional | 28% |
| Education | 9% |
| Non Profits | 8% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Media | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Legal extern turnover and employment statistics
Legal extern unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal externs between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal extern unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal extern 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 extern tenure
The average legal extern stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 57,288 legal externs resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal extern tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 85% |
| 1-2 years | 10% |
| 3-4 years | 2% |
| 5-7 years | 2% |
| 8-10 years | 1% |
| 11+ years | 0% |
Legal extern LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal externs 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Legal Clerk | 6.63% | 74,069 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legal Extern | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar legal extern jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Legal Clerk | 6.63% | 74,069 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal externs
The most common foreign language among legal externs is Spanish at 42.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.1% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 5.4%.
- Spanish, 42.5%
- French, 13.1%
- Mandarin, 5.4%
- Chinese, 5.4%
- Russian, 4.8%
- Other, 28.8%
Legal extern languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 42.5% |
| French | 13.1% |
| Mandarin | 5.4% |
| Chinese | 5.4% |
| Russian | 4.8% |
| Other | 28.8% |
