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The average salary for a Senior Legal Secretary is approximately $60,027 annually, translating to about $29 per hour. Salaries can vary based on several factors, including location, years of experience, and specific legal fields. For example, states like New York and California often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for legal professionals.
Each state presents unique opportunities for Senior Legal Secretaries. For instance, the highest paying states typically include:
In addition to location, industries also play a crucial role in salary variations. Senior Legal Secretaries working in corporate law firms may earn significantly more than those in public service roles. Understanding these dynamics enables aspiring professionals to navigate their career paths effectively.
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The average senior legal secretary salary in Connecticut, West Virginia, and Colorado are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior legal secretary salary states are Georgia, South Dakota, and Arkansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $85,771 | $41.24 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $73,626 | $35.40 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $74,209 | $35.68 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $70,667 | $33.97 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $71,625 | $34.44 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $62,386 | $29.99 |
| 7 | New York | $67,905 | $32.65 |
| 8 | Washington | $64,742 | $31.13 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $62,163 | $29.89 |
| 10 | Colorado | $72,413 | $34.81 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $61,239 | $29.44 |
| 12 | Michigan | $59,158 | $28.44 |
| 13 | California | $67,953 | $32.67 |
| 14 | Utah | $66,577 | $32.01 |
| 15 | Nevada | $66,252 | $31.85 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $60,254 | $28.97 |
| 17 | Vermont | $61,924 | $29.77 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $57,357 | $27.58 |
| 19 | Delaware | $62,345 | $29.97 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $63,111 | $30.34 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $59,809 | $28.75 |
| 22 | Maryland | $59,857 | $28.78 |
| 23 | Illinois | $60,960 | $29.31 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $56,490 | $27.16 |
| 25 | Oregon | $63,120 | $30.35 |
| 26 | Alaska | $61,896 | $29.76 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $54,829 | $26.36 |
| 28 | Texas | $56,563 | $27.19 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $56,411 | $27.12 |
| 30 | Kansas | $58,707 | $28.22 |
| 31 | Arizona | $54,429 | $26.17 |
| 32 | Alabama | $50,001 | $24.04 |
| 33 | Virginia | $56,331 | $27.08 |
| 34 | Florida | $49,506 | $23.80 |
| 35 | Montana | $45,611 | $21.93 |
| 36 | Missouri | $50,372 | $24.22 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $41,536 | $19.97 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $49,976 | $24.03 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $45,343 | $21.80 |
| 40 | Ohio | $46,001 | $22.12 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $43,769 | $21.04 |
| 42 | Indiana | $48,185 | $23.17 |
| 43 | Maine | $41,372 | $19.89 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $48,148 | $23.15 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $47,318 | $22.75 |
| 46 | Idaho | $47,833 | $23.00 |
| 47 | Georgia | $44,937 | $21.60 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $46,626 | $22.42 |
| 49 | Iowa | $46,898 | $22.55 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $42,066 | $20.22 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $41,108 | $19.76 |
The highest-paying cities for senior legal secretaries are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Reno, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $73,403 | $35.29 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $70,990 | $34.13 |
| 3 | Reno, NV | $68,864 | $33.11 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $68,527 | $32.95 |
| 5 | Dallas, TX | $56,446 | $27.14 |
| 6 | New Orleans, LA | $47,620 | $22.89 |
A senior legal secretary's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| Average | $60,027 | $5,002 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
The highest paying types of senior legal secretaries are district court administrator, paralegal/office manager, and executive secretary.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal/Office Manager | $56,389 | $4,699 | $27.11 | 37,871 |
| Secretary | $36,442 | $3,037 | $17.52 | 69,315 |
| Legal Secretary | $41,725 | $3,477 | $20.06 | 13,182 |
Top companies hiring senior legal secretaries now:
Senior legal secretary salaries at Ernst & Young and The Travelers Companies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior legal secretary salary at companies like Deloitte and Wells Fargo are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernst & Young | $87,167 | $41.91 |
| 2 | The Travelers Companies | $83,847 | $40.31 |
| 3 | Deloitte | $77,635 | $37.32 |
| 4 | Wells Fargo | $71,039 | $34.15 |
| 5 | The Independent Traveler | $63,332 | $30.45 |
| 6 | Volt Information Sciences | $60,595 | $29.13 |
| 7 | Robert Half | $58,903 | $28.32 |
| 8 | City of Reno | $43,286 | $20.81 |
The average senior legal secretary salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insurance | $74,799 | $35.96 |
| 2 | Professional | $73,889 | $35.52 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $58,275 | $28.02 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $53,470 | $25.71 |
| 5 | Government | $49,481 | $23.79 |
The average senior legal secretary salary has risen by $7,991 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior legal secretary earned $52,036 annually, but today, they earn $60,027 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for senior legal secretaries over the last decade.
Compare senior legal secretary salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior legal secretary salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $60,000 | $28.86 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $58,000 | $27.87 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $56,800 | $27.32 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $54,800 | $26.36 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $54,100 | $26.03 | +2.2% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Legal Clerical (TOP Secret Clearance Required) | Washington, DC | 06/09/2025 | $72,043 |
| Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP | Senior Legal Secretary | Anchorage, AK | 05/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| Kent Daniels and Associates, Inc. | Senior Legal Secretary | Atlanta, GA | 04/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Legal Clerical (TOP Secret Clearance Required) | Washington, DC | 04/28/2025 | $72,043 |
| Strategic Employment | Senior Legal Secretary | New York, NY | 03/10/2025 | $90,000 |
| Lowenstein Sandler | Senior Legal Secretary | New York, NY | 03/03/2025 | $90,000 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | Legal Clerical (TOP Secret Clearance Required) | Washington, DC | 02/18/2025 | $72,043 |
| Trueline | Senior Litigation Paralegal/Legal Secretary | San Francisco, CA | 02/17/2025 | $125,000 |
| Exeter Government | Legal Clerical (TOP Secret Clearance Required) | Washington, DC | 10/16/2024 | $72,043 |
| Centralcallegal | Legal Secretary-Consumer/Senior/Benefits Team | Fresno, CA | 10/14/2024 | $42,470 |
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