Legal researcher demographics and statistics in the US
Legal researcher demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal researcher demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal researcher 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 researchers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 4,586 legal researchers currently employed in the United States.
- 53.0% of all legal researchers are women, while 47.0% are men.
- The average legal researcher age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal researchers is White (75.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.8%), Asian (6.4%) and Black or African American (5.6%).
- Legal researchers are most in-demand in San Diego, CA.
- Boston, MA pays an annual average wage of $97,758, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women legal researchers earned 91% of what men earned.
- New York is the best state for legal researchers to live.
- Legal researchers are 60% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Legal researcher demographics by:
Legal researcher gender statistics
53.0% of legal researchers are women and 47.0% of legal researchers are men.
- Female, 53.0%
- Male, 47.0%
Legal researcher gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.0% |
| Male | 47.0% |
Legal researcher gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$39,756
Female income
$36,217
Legal researcher gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal researcher positions over time. Currently, 53.0% of legal researchers are female.
Legal researcher gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 54.06% | 45.94% |
| 2011 | 53.24% | 46.76% |
| 2012 | 53.05% | 46.95% |
| 2013 | 52.41% | 47.59% |
| 2014 | 52.32% | 47.68% |
| 2015 | 49.61% | 50.39% |
| 2016 | 49.52% | 50.48% |
| 2017 | 49.63% | 50.37% |
| 2018 | 50.03% | 49.97% |
| 2019 | 49.30% | 50.70% |
| 2020 | 47.39% | 52.61% |
| 2021 | 46.96% | 53.04% |
Legal researcher related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal researchers 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 Researcher | 47% | 53% |
| 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 researcher demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal researchers is White, which makes up 75.5% of all legal researchers. Comparatively, 7.8% of legal researchers are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of legal researchers are Asian.
- White, 75.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Black or African American, 5.6%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Legal researcher race
| Legal researcher race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.6% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Legal researcher race and ethnicity over time
See how legal researcher racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal researcher race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.13% | 5.18% | 4.83% | 6.03% |
| 2011 | 81.90% | 5.49% | 4.98% | 5.87% |
| 2012 | 81.98% | 5.12% | 5.15% | 6.05% |
| 2013 | 81.73% | 5.20% | 5.19% | 5.78% |
| 2014 | 81.07% | 5.70% | 5.42% | 5.93% |
| 2015 | 80.98% | 5.36% | 5.51% | 6.35% |
| 2016 | 80.41% | 5.42% | 5.67% | 6.63% |
| 2017 | 80.44% | 5.40% | 5.64% | 6.41% |
| 2018 | 79.80% | 5.57% | 5.56% | 7.02% |
| 2019 | 79.33% | 5.55% | 5.94% | 7.08% |
| 2020 | 76.81% | 5.46% | 6.25% | 7.23% |
| 2021 | 75.48% | 5.59% | 6.42% | 7.82% |
Legal researcher wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $39,248 |
| White | $40,966 |
| Black or African American | $37,023 |
| Asian | $43,929 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $37,982 |
Average legal researcher age
See how the average age of legal researchers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal researcher 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 researcher age breakdown
The average age of legal researchers is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the legal researcher population.
Legal researcher age breakdown
| Legal Researcher Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Legal researcher educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Doctorate, 26%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Legal researchers by degree level
| Legal researcher degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 56% |
| Doctorate | 26% |
| Master's | 9% |
| Associate | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Legal researcher jobs you might like
Legal researcher employment statistics
Most legal researchers work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where legal researchers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal researchers work.
Legal researcher jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 14% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 17% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Legal researcher jobs by company type
Employees with the legal researcher job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal researchers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Legal researcher jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 16% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 60% |
| Government | 9% |
Legal researcher jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal researchers are professional, education and finance.
Legal researcher industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 31% |
| Education | 13% |
| Finance | 9% |
| Non Profits | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Government | 6% |
| Media | 4% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Legal researcher turnover and employment statistics
Legal researcher unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal researchers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal researcher unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal researcher 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 researcher tenure
The average legal researcher stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,853 legal researchers resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal researcher tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 35% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Legal researcher LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal researchers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,642 |
| Legal Office Assistant | 6.63% | 41,220 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legal Researcher | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar legal researcher jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,642 |
| Legal Office Assistant | 6.63% | 41,220 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal researchers
The most common foreign language among legal researchers is Spanish at 37.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 15.5% and German is the third-most popular at 8.0%.
- Spanish, 37.0%
- French, 15.5%
- German, 8.0%
- Chinese, 6.7%
- Russian, 5.0%
- Other, 27.8%
Legal researcher languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 37.0% |
| French | 15.5% |
| German | 8.0% |
| Chinese | 6.7% |
| Russian | 5.0% |
| Other | 27.8% |
