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Business & Finance

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Perform secretarial duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents. Prepare legal papers and correspondence, such as summonses, complaints, motions, and subpoenas. May also assist with legal research.

Median salary (BLS)

$55,570

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$37k – $92k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$8,500–$25,000

Time to qualify

2.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Associate degree (community college)

    Degree

    Two years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.

    $8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

    Entry / Junior

    $36,500

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

    Established

    $55,570

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

    Senior

    $73,650

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files.
  • •Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
  • •Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses.
  • •Prepare, proofread, or process legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, appeals, motions, or pretrial agreements.
  • •Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matter.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.