Legal specialist demographics and statistics in the US
Legal specialist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal specialist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal specialist 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 specialists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 8,478 legal specialists currently employed in the United States.
- 67.5% of all legal specialists are women, while 32.5% are men.
- The average legal specialist age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal specialists is White (75.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.8%), Asian (6.4%) and Black or African American (5.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 93% of what men earned.
- 10% of all legal specialists are LGBT.
- Legal specialists are 54% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Legal specialist demographics by:
Legal specialist gender statistics
67.5% of legal specialists are women and 32.5% of legal specialists are men.
- Female, 67.5%
- Male, 32.5%
Legal specialist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 67.5% |
| Male | 32.5% |
Legal specialist gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$46,916
Female income
$43,717
Legal specialist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal specialist positions over time. Currently, 67.5% of legal specialists are female.
Legal specialist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 38.99% | 61.01% |
| 2011 | 38.22% | 61.78% |
| 2012 | 38.04% | 61.96% |
| 2013 | 37.44% | 62.56% |
| 2014 | 37.35% | 62.65% |
| 2015 | 34.85% | 65.15% |
| 2016 | 34.76% | 65.24% |
| 2017 | 34.86% | 65.14% |
| 2018 | 35.23% | 64.77% |
| 2019 | 34.57% | 65.43% |
| 2020 | 32.86% | 67.14% |
| 2021 | 32.48% | 67.52% |
Legal specialist related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal specialists 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 Specialist | 32% | 68% |
| 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 specialist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal specialists is White, which makes up 75.7% of all legal specialists. Comparatively, 7.8% of legal specialists are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of legal specialists are Asian.
- White, 75.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Legal specialist race
| Legal specialist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Legal specialist race and ethnicity over time
See how legal specialist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal specialist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.33% | 5.11% | 4.77% | 5.96% |
| 2011 | 82.10% | 5.42% | 4.93% | 5.80% |
| 2012 | 82.17% | 5.05% | 5.10% | 5.99% |
| 2013 | 81.93% | 5.14% | 5.13% | 5.72% |
| 2014 | 81.27% | 5.64% | 5.36% | 5.86% |
| 2015 | 81.17% | 5.30% | 5.45% | 6.28% |
| 2016 | 80.61% | 5.36% | 5.61% | 6.57% |
| 2017 | 80.63% | 5.33% | 5.58% | 6.34% |
| 2018 | 79.99% | 5.51% | 5.51% | 6.95% |
| 2019 | 79.53% | 5.49% | 5.89% | 7.02% |
| 2020 | 77.01% | 5.39% | 6.20% | 7.16% |
| 2021 | 75.67% | 5.53% | 6.36% | 7.75% |
Legal specialist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian legal specialists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american legal specialists have the lowest average salary at $44,453.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $46,461 |
| White | $47,993 |
| Black or African American | $44,453 |
| Asian | $50,599 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $45,321 |
Average legal specialist age
See how the average age of legal specialists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal specialist 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 specialist age breakdown
The average age of legal specialists is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the legal specialist population.
Legal specialist age breakdown
| Legal Specialist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Legal specialist educational attainment
The most common degree for legal specialists is bachelor's degree, with 54% of legal specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 18%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Legal specialists by degree level
| Legal specialist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 54% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Doctorate | 10% |
| Master's | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Legal specialist jobs you might like
Legal specialist employment statistics
Most legal specialists work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where legal specialists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal specialists work.
Legal specialist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 29% |
Legal specialist jobs by company type
Employees with the legal specialist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal specialists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Legal specialist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 32% |
| Private | 54% |
| Government | 11% |
Legal specialist jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal specialists are professional, finance and technology.
Legal specialist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 18% |
| Finance | 16% |
| Fortune 500 | 15% |
| Technology | 10% |
| Government | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Legal specialist turnover and employment statistics
Legal specialist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal specialists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal specialist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal specialist 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 specialist tenure
The average legal specialist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,750 legal specialists resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal specialist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Legal specialist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal specialists 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 |
| Paralegal Specialist | 6.63% | 4,185 |
| Title Specialist | 8.14% | 19,349 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legal Specialist | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar legal specialist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Law Clerk | 5.54% | 106,314 |
| Paralegal Specialist | 6.63% | 4,185 |
| Title Specialist | 8.14% | 19,349 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal specialists
The most common foreign language among legal specialists is Spanish at 44.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.9% and Russian is the third-most popular at 6.9%.
- Spanish, 44.6%
- French, 10.9%
- Russian, 6.9%
- Chinese, 5.9%
- German, 5.9%
- Other, 25.8%
Legal specialist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 44.6% |
| French | 10.9% |
| Russian | 6.9% |
| Chinese | 5.9% |
| German | 5.9% |
| Other | 25.8% |
