Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for legal secretaries and administrative assistantss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$93,590
- New York$74,870
- California$74,860
- Connecticut$69,970
- Minnesota$69,660
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Kansas$40,020
- Kentucky$42,700
- Arkansas$43,660
- Idaho$44,740
- Mississippi$45,300
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $93,590 | $99,280 | $45 | +54.4% | 1,940 |
| 2 | New York | $74,870 | $72,230 | $36 | +23.5% | 9,800 |
| 3 | California | $74,860 | $62,860 | $36 | +23.5% | 27,470 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $69,970 | $66,220 | $34 | +15.4% | 1,090 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $69,660 | $63,180 | $33 | +14.9% | 2,410 |
| 6 | Delaware | $68,010 | $66,130 | $33 | +12.2% | 980 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $66,460 | $62,120 | $32 | +9.6% | 4,020 |
| 8 | Colorado | $65,740 | $59,490 | $32 | +8.4% | 2,030 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $64,150 | $63,080 | $31 | +5.8% | 4,160 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $63,670 | $63,020 | $31 | +5% | 390 |
| 11 | Washington | $63,570 | $58,360 | $31 | +4.9% | 3,950 |
| 12 | Oregon | $63,550 | $59,610 | $31 | +4.8% | 1,590 |
| 13 | Maryland | $63,410 | $61,440 | $30 | +4.6% | 1,670 |
| 14 | Virginia | $62,940 | $55,320 | $30 | +3.8% | 2,380 |
| 15 | Illinois | $60,790 | $52,790 | $29 | +0.3% | 8,030 |
| 16 | Alaska | $60,560 | $61,280 | $29 | -0.1% | 660 |
| 17 | Arizona | $58,860 | $55,120 | $28 | -2.9% | 2,600 |
| 18 | Nevada | $58,610 | $56,470 | $28 | -3.3% | 1,430 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $57,710 | $51,830 | $28 | -4.8% | 300 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $57,370 | $57,800 | $28 | -5.4% | 1,400 |
| 21 | Michigan | $57,090 | $56,870 | $27 | -5.8% | 3,580 |
| 22 | Utah | $56,980 | $52,860 | $27 | -6% | 940 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $56,590 | $55,410 | $27 | -6.6% | 1,210 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $55,930 | $49,460 | $27 | -7.7% | 680 |
| 25 | Florida | $55,420 | $48,510 | $27 | -8.6% | 10,920 |
| 26 | Texas | $54,180 | $45,940 | $26 | -10.6% | 13,380 |
| 27 | Ohio | $53,970 | $51,080 | $26 | -11% | 4,360 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $53,670 | $53,540 | $26 | -11.5% | 360 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $53,390 | $51,430 | $26 | -11.9% | 6,230 |
| 30 | Indiana | $52,620 | $47,740 | $25 | -13.2% | 2,670 |
| 31 | Georgia | $52,480 | $48,460 | $25 | -13.4% | 3,260 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $52,270 | $52,840 | $25 | -13.8% | 2,280 |
| 33 | Vermont | $52,210 | $49,090 | $25 | -13.9% | — |
| 34 | Louisiana | $51,040 | $48,050 | $25 | -15.8% | 2,460 |
| 35 | Maine | $51,010 | $48,040 | $25 | -15.9% | 860 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $50,430 | $46,960 | $24 | -16.8% | 280 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $49,450 | $45,340 | $24 | -18.4% | 2,980 |
| 38 | Iowa | $48,800 | $46,590 | $23 | -19.5% | 1,120 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $47,760 | $47,790 | $23 | -21.2% | 560 |
| 40 | Alabama | $47,620 | $45,950 | $23 | -21.4% | 1,840 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $46,960 | $43,720 | $23 | -22.5% | 3,780 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $46,850 | $45,800 | $23 | -22.7% | 1,310 |
| 43 | Missouri | $46,610 | $38,560 | $22 | -23.1% | 3,310 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $46,280 | $45,950 | $22 | -23.7% | 1,290 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $45,790 | $46,960 | $22 | -24.5% | 1,200 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $45,300 | $45,140 | $22 | -25.3% | 820 |
| 47 | Idaho | $44,740 | $41,880 | $22 | -26.2% | 420 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $43,660 | $41,410 | $21 | -28% | 610 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $42,700 | $39,300 | $21 | -29.6% | 2,810 |
| 50 | Kansas | $40,020 | $36,620 | $19 | -34% | 1,600 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 419 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $87,270 | $90,530 | 660 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,410 | $89,030 | 2,740 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $77,780 | $71,910 | 50 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $77,220 | $86,320 | 2,970 |
| 5 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $75,950 | $74,350 | 260 |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,920 | $78,290 | 9,580 |
| 7 | Salinas, CA | $75,150 | $75,190 | 80 |
| 8 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $74,790 | $72,720 | 470 |
| 9 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $74,360 | $72,950 | 160 |
| 10 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $71,670 | $66,340 | 590 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing legal secretaries and administrative assistantss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $84,850 | $79,900 | 40 |
| 2 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $84,850 | $79,900 | 40 |
| 3 | Engineering Services | $82,970 | $80,880 | 30 |
| 4 | Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations | $82,070 | $81,520 | 100 |
| 5 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $81,660 | $75,690 | 40 |
| 6 | Residential Building Construction | $80,340 | $69,220 | — |
| 7 | Construction of Buildings | $80,160 | $70,670 | — |
| 8 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $78,600 | $78,280 | — |
| 9 | Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $76,260 | $70,050 | 80 |
| 10 | Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $74,550 | $69,570 | 60 |
| 11 | Real Estate | $74,220 | $68,910 | 250 |
| 12 | Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $73,600 | $71,170 | 40 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do legal secretaries and administrative assistants make in the U.S.?
The median legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary in the United States is $55,570 per year (mean $60,620), and about 80% earn between $36,500 and $91,730.
How much do legal secretaries and administrative assistants make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $60,620 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays legal secretaries and administrative assistants the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for legal secretaries and administrative assistants at $93,590 per year (median $99,280).
What is the job outlook for legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
Employment is projected to change -5.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 19,600 openings per year.