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The differences between legal secretaries and receptionists 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 secretary, becoming a receptionist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a legal secretary has an average salary of $41,725, which is higher than the $30,571 average annual salary of a receptionist.
The top three skills for a legal secretary include litigation, legal correspondence and dictation. The most important skills for a receptionist are patients, phone calls, and customer service.
| Legal Secretary | Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,725 | $30,571 |
| Hourly rate | $20.06 | $14.70 |
| Growth rate | -8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 13,182 | 65,671 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 54 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Receptionists are employees assigned at the entrances or lobbies of offices. They welcome guests, check identification, issue visitor badges, attend to questions or inquiries, and direct guests to where they are supposed to go. They also receive general mail or packages, answer calls, and manage schedules. Receptionists perform various clerical or administrative functions as assigned by their supervisors. They should have good client relations skills.
Legal secretaries and receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Secretary | Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $41,725 | $30,571 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $60,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Kane Russell Coleman Logan | Gensler |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a legal secretary and a receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Legal Secretary | Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Bentley University | - |
Here are the differences between legal secretaries' and receptionists' demographics:
| Legal Secretary | Receptionist | |
| Average age | 54 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8% | Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 6% |