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The differences between legal receptionists and legal secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a legal receptionist, becoming a legal secretary takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a legal secretary has an average salary of $41,725, which is higher than the $32,592 average annual salary of a legal receptionist.
The top three skills for a legal receptionist include law firm, paralegals and litigation. The most important skills for a legal secretary are litigation, legal correspondence, and dictation.
| Legal Receptionist | Legal Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $32,592 | $41,725 |
| Hourly rate | $15.67 | $20.06 |
| Growth rate | - | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 23,699 | 13,182 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Average age | 42 | 54 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
In law firms, a legal receptionist serves the clients' first point of contact. They are primarily in charge of greeting and professionally interacting with clients, identifying their needs, answering questions, and escorting visitors to offices. They must also perform clerical tasks such as handling calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, confirming schedules, maintaining records, managing the flow and deliveries of mails and other forms of documentation, and assisting attorneys as needed. Furthermore, a legal receptionist must manage the law firm's facilities, such as the lobby and meeting offices.
Legal secretaries are employees in a law firm who are responsible for many administrative tasks. They handle the tasks such as filing and keeping records, ensuring that all documents are stored properly, and update contact information data and other essential office databases. They must also be knowledgeable on the law because they are, at times, assigned to draw up legal documents such as motions and subpoenas, conduct legal research, and write up other important office memoranda. Legal secretaries should be organized, trustworthy, and level-headed.
Legal receptionists and legal secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Receptionist | Legal Secretary | |
| Average salary | $32,592 | $41,725 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $42,000 | Between $28,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Winget | Kane Russell Coleman Logan |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal receptionist and a legal secretary in terms of educational background:
| Legal Receptionist | Legal Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Legal Support Services | Business |
| Most common college | - | Bentley University |
Here are the differences between legal receptionists' and legal secretaries' demographics:
| Legal Receptionist | Legal Secretary | |
| Average age | 42 | 54 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.0% Female, 94.0% | Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 23.9% Asian, 5.7% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 2.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |