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Legal secretary salary
Average legal secretary salary
$41,725
Average Legal Secretary Salary Overview
The average salary for legal secretaries in the United States is $41,725 per year, translating to approximately $20 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the type of legal environment. Entry-level positions typically offer lower starting salaries, while experienced professionals in high-demand areas may earn upwards of $60,000 annually.
Where Can Legal Secretaries Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Texas often feature higher salaries for legal secretaries due to the concentration of law firms and corporations. For instance, in California, the average salary can exceed $50,000, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for legal support professionals. Additionally, sectors such as corporate law or intellectual property often provide more lucrative opportunities.
Salary by Experience Level
As legal secretaries gain experience, their earning potential increases. Entry-level positions may start around $30,000, but with five to ten years of experience, salaries can rise to between $45,000 and $55,000. Specialized skills, such as proficiency in legal software or familiarity with specific legal practices, can further enhance earning potential.
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Where can a Legal Secretary earn more?
Legal secretary salaries by experience level
Legal secretary salary estimates from across the web
Average legal secretary salary by state
The highest-paying states for legal secretaries are California, West Virginia, and Colorado. The lowest average legal secretary salary states are Arkansas, Maine, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for legal secretaries
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $61,436 | $29.54 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $53,189 | $25.57 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $48,210 | $23.18 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $48,850 | $23.49 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $47,967 | $23.06 |
| 6 | Colorado | $50,347 | $24.21 |
| 7 | California | $53,552 | $25.75 |
| 8 | New York | $45,795 | $22.02 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $43,363 | $20.85 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $42,759 | $20.56 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $42,925 | $20.64 |
| 12 | Vermont | $45,352 | $21.80 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $43,408 | $20.87 |
| 14 | Michigan | $41,219 | $19.82 |
| 15 | Delaware | $44,136 | $21.22 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $43,713 | $21.02 |
| 17 | Illinois | $43,685 | $21.00 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $43,422 | $20.88 |
| 19 | Washington | $41,595 | $20.00 |
| 20 | Florida | $39,662 | $19.07 |
| 21 | Texas | $41,574 | $19.99 |
| 22 | Utah | $43,531 | $20.93 |
| 23 | Kansas | $42,759 | $20.56 |
| 24 | Maryland | $42,746 | $20.55 |
| 25 | Nevada | $43,037 | $20.69 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $38,757 | $18.63 |
| 27 | Alaska | $42,315 | $20.34 |
| 28 | Alabama | $38,790 | $18.65 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $41,385 | $19.90 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $38,376 | $18.45 |
| 31 | Oregon | $40,816 | $19.62 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $37,109 | $17.84 |
| 33 | Arizona | $37,680 | $18.12 |
| 34 | Virginia | $40,508 | $19.48 |
| 35 | Missouri | $37,106 | $17.84 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $33,799 | $16.25 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $36,615 | $17.60 |
| 38 | Maine | $31,397 | $15.09 |
| 39 | Georgia | $34,739 | $16.70 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $36,715 | $17.65 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $34,170 | $16.43 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $31,166 | $14.98 |
| 43 | Montana | $30,632 | $14.73 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $34,734 | $16.70 |
| 45 | Iowa | $33,978 | $16.34 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $34,166 | $16.43 |
| 47 | Indiana | $34,784 | $16.72 |
| 48 | Ohio | $32,857 | $15.80 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $31,570 | $15.18 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $31,212 | $15.01 |
| 51 | Idaho | $31,216 | $15.01 |
Highest paying cities for legal secretaries
The highest-paying cities for legal secretaries are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Denver, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $61,547 | $29.59 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $57,151 | $27.48 |
| 3 | Denver, CO | $50,395 | $24.23 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $47,754 | $22.96 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $47,255 | $22.72 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $46,367 | $22.29 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $43,722 | $21.02 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | $43,481 | $20.90 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $43,232 | $20.78 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $42,956 | $20.65 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $42,914 | $20.63 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $41,956 | $20.17 |
| 13 | Eugene, OR | $41,543 | $19.97 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $41,378 | $19.89 |
| 15 | Spokane, WA | $40,969 | $19.70 |
| 16 | Jacksonville, FL | $40,356 | $19.40 |
| 17 | Norfolk, VA | $40,330 | $19.39 |
| 18 | Tucson, AZ | $37,733 | $18.14 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $37,322 | $17.94 |
| 20 | Lafayette, LA | $36,786 | $17.69 |
Legal Secretaries are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Legal secretary salary details
A legal secretary's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $60,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a legal secretary's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 75th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| Average | $41,725 | $3,477 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying legal secretary jobs
The highest paying types of legal secretaries are assistant secretary, senior legal secretary, and litigation paralegal.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Officer | $48,547 | $4,046 | $23.34 | 213,294 |
| Litigation Paralegal | $58,484 | $4,874 | $28.12 | 5,132 |
| Paralegal | $49,943 | $4,162 | $24.01 | 5,177 |
| Paralegal/Office Manager | $56,389 | $4,699 | $27.11 | 37,871 |
| Administrator Secretary | $34,336 | $2,861 | $16.51 | 99,520 |
| Legal Clerk | $35,152 | $2,929 | $16.90 | 74,069 |
Top companies hiring legal secretaries now:
Which companies pay legal secretaries the most?
Legal secretary salaries at Kane Russell Coleman Logan and Thompson Coe are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average legal secretary salary at companies like Kent Daniels & Associates and Benesch are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kane Russell Coleman Logan | $104,007 | $50.00 |
| 2 | Thompson Coe | $76,320 | $36.69 |
| 3 | Kent Daniels & Associates | $71,813 | $34.53 |
| 4 | Benesch | $66,841 | $32.14 |
| 5 | Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker Llp | $63,901 | $30.72 |
| 6 | Cipriani & Werner, P.C. | $63,378 | $30.47 |
| 7 | Klinedinst Pc | $61,448 | $29.54 |
| 8 | Williams & Connolly | $58,495 | $28.12 |
| 9 | Forchelli Deegan Terrana | $57,077 | $27.44 |
| 10 | Richards Kibbe & Orbe | $56,995 | $27.40 |
| 11 | Fenwick & West | $56,798 | $27.31 |
| 12 | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | $56,515 | $27.17 |
| 13 | Levorse Debra E Atty | $56,116 | $26.98 |
| 14 | Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. | $55,216 | $26.55 |
| 15 | Santo Domingo | $54,989 | $26.44 |
| 16 | Legal Services | $53,590 | $25.76 |
| 17 | AIG | $53,240 | $25.60 |
| 18 | Baker Donelson | $52,384 | $25.18 |
| 19 | GPAC | $52,263 | $25.13 |
| 20 | FordHarrison | $52,074 | $25.04 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Legal secretary salary trends
The average legal secretary salary has risen by $5,555 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average legal secretary earned $36,170 annually, but today, they earn $41,725 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for legal secretaries over the last decade.
Compare legal secretary salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average legal secretary salary over time
Compare legal secretary salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Legal secretary salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,700 | $20.06 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $40,300 | $19.37 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $39,500 | $18.99 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $38,100 | $18.32 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $37,600 | $18.09 | +2.2% |
Recently added legal secretary salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP | Litigation Legal Secretary | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/30/2025 | $60,000 |
| Zurich North America | Staff Legal Secretary-General Liability-Hybrid | Owings Mills, MD | 06/29/2025 | $45,914 |
| State of Georgia | Dhs/Dcss Legal Secretary | Americus, GA | 06/29/2025 | $33,511 |
| State of Maine | Associate Legal Secretary (Secretary Associate Legal) | Augusta, ME | 06/29/2025 | $40,216 |
| Aaaie | Civil Litigation Legal Secretary-Hybrid | Sacramento, CA | 06/28/2025 | $57,393 |
| Clark County, In (gov | Legal Secretary-Clark County Prosecutor's Office | Jeffersonville, IN | 06/28/2025 | $46,800 |
| Haynes and Boone | Legal Secretary | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $75,000 |
| Jackson Lewis | Legal Secretary | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $79,306 |
| Orlando Economic Partnership | Legal Secretary I/II (Real Estate) | Orlando, FL | 06/27/2025 | $41,135 |
| Adams & Martin Group | Litigation Legal Secretary | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $73,000 |
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