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The differences between legal transcriptionists and legal assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a legal transcriptionist and a legal assistant. Additionally, a legal transcriptionist has an average salary of $48,622, which is higher than the $42,387 average annual salary of a legal assistant.
The top three skills for a legal transcriptionist include transcription, legal terminology and dictation. The most important skills for a legal assistant are litigation, legal correspondence, and discovery responses.
| Legal Transcriptionist | Legal Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $48,622 | $42,387 |
| Hourly rate | $23.38 | $20.38 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 6,047 | 9,560 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A legal transcriptionist produces written transcriptions of audio recordings from various legal conversions such as consultations, interviews, and court proceedings. It is their responsibility to deliver accurate transcriptions, from dialogues to gestures and diction. To carry out their duties, they must maintain an active communication line with the employer, keep an eye out for errors and inconsistencies, and organize files accordingly. Moreover, a legal transcriptionist may directly work at government offices and legal firms. They can also work as independent contractors, typically working from home.
Legal assistants are responsible for doing most of the administrative or clerical needs of a lawyer. They support lawyers by preparing documents for hearings or trials, conducting research for legal cases, organizing files and records, managing schedules, manning phone lines, communicating with legal clients, documenting meeting minutes, and setting up appointments. It is important for legal assistants to have a basic knowledge of laws and the judiciary system so that they can provide better support to lawyers. They should also be detail-oriented, organized, and excellent communicators.
Legal transcriptionists and legal assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Legal Transcriptionist | Legal Assistant | |
| Average salary | $48,622 | $42,387 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $30,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Roberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey Pc |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a legal transcriptionist and a legal assistant in terms of educational background:
| Legal Transcriptionist | Legal Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Legal Support Services |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between legal transcriptionists' and legal assistants' demographics:
| Legal Transcriptionist | Legal Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.5% Female, 93.5% | Male, 17.4% Female, 82.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 6.0% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |