What are the main factors that influence a Legal Secretary's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Legal Secretary's salary?

A Legal Secretary's salary grows with experience: starting around $73,025 for beginners, reaching about $75,660 at mid-level, and approach $85,983 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Legal Secretary?

Legal Secretary salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Legal Secretary roles are District of Columbia $87,758, California $87,425, Massachusetts $86,260. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Legal Secretary roles make?

Salaries for Legal Secretary level roles vary by specialization: Corporate Legal Secretary: $216,151; Legal Secretary, Specialist: $86,890; Legal Secretary IV: $86,887; Legal Secretary, Senior: $79,830; Legal Secretary III: $79,826.

How do different companies affect a Legal Secretary's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Legal Secretary roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Legal Secretary Salary in the United States

How much does a Legal Secretary make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Legal Secretary in the United States is $79,261 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, a Legal Secretary's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $96,728
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,657 to $88,404
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $60,913

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Legal Secretary Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$88,404	$7,367	$1,700	$43
Average	$79,261	$6,605	$1,524	$38
25th Percentile	$69,657	$5,805	$1,340	$33

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Check out Legal Secretary Job Openings in the United States

Legal Secretary

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SPA - ALEXANDRIA, VA

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Key Factors That Influence Legal Secretary Salaries

A Legal Secretary's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Legal Secretary Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Legal Secretary's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $73,025
Early Career (1-2 years): $73,757
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $75,660
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $82,622
Expert (over 8 years): $85,983

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Legal Secretary	$73,025
Intermediate Level Legal Secretary	$73,757
Senior Level Legal Secretary	$75,660
Specialist Level Legal Secretary	$82,622
Expert Level Legal Secretary	$85,983

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Legal Secretary Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Legal Secretaries. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $87,758.
California: $87,425.
Massachusetts: $86,260.

District of Columbia $87,758 California $87,425 Massachusetts $86,260 Washington $85,943 New Jersey $85,911 Alaska $85,800 Connecticut $84,706 New York $84,262

Hawaii $82,843 Rhode Island $82,178 Maryland $81,726 Minnesota $81,108 Colorado $80,870 Illinois $80,791 Oregon $80,489 Delaware $80,268

New Hampshire $80,128 Virginia $79,816 Pennsylvania $78,904 Nevada $78,445 North Dakota $78,294 Michigan $78,056 Wisconsin $77,969 Vermont $77,795

Texas $77,311 Maine $77,279 Arizona $77,232 Ohio $77,176 Georgia $76,447 Indiana $76,083 Wyoming $76,011 Utah $75,900

Iowa $75,853 Kansas $75,472 Louisiana $75,361 North Carolina $75,322 Missouri $75,306 Florida $74,997 Montana $74,830 Nebraska $74,672

Kentucky $74,585 South Carolina $74,267 Tennessee $74,069 Idaho $73,990 New Mexico $73,411 Oklahoma $73,285 Alabama $72,817 South Dakota $72,032

Arkansas $71,604 West Virginia $71,374 Mississippi $70,685

Top Paying Cities for Legal Secretaries

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $99,972
San Francisco: $98,989
Oakland: $96,793

San Jose, CA $99,972

San Francisco, CA $98,989

Oakland, CA $96,793

New York, NY $91,855

Queens Village, NY $91,261

Paramus, NJ $90,627

Passaic, NJ $90,548

Bergenfield, NJ $90,468

Stamford, CT $90,349

Huntington, NY $90,270

Newark, NJ $89,755

Bridgeport, CT $89,597

New Brunswick, NJ $89,335

Vallejo, CA $89,169

Middlesex, NJ $89,121

Somerset, NJ $89,050

Petaluma, CA $88,867

Santa Cruz, CA $88,558

Boston, MA $88,400

Monterey, CA $88,003

Fairbanks, AK $87,948

Los Angeles, CA $87,797

Washington, DC $87,758

Seattle, WA $87,615

Santa Rosa, CA $87,599

Juneau, AK $87,369

Orange, CA $87,108

Anchorage, AK $86,965

Anaheim, CA $86,910

Santa Ana, CA $86,791

Nassau, NY $86,743

Long Beach, CA $86,711

Danbury, CT $86,688

Santa Maria, CA $86,418

Everett, WA $86,402

Bremerton, WA $86,014

Trenton, NJ $85,863

Sacramento, CA $85,832

San Diego, CA $85,792

Brockton, MA $85,760

Tacoma, WA $85,729

Santa Barbara, CA $85,618

Lowell, MA $85,301

New Suffolk, NY $85,269

Nashua, NH $85,174

Lompoc, CA $85,047

Ventura, CA $84,968

Stockton, CA $84,944

New Haven, CT $84,785

Atlantic City, NJ $84,579

Hartford, CT $84,405

Modesto, CA $84,365

Poughkeepsie, NY $84,191

New Britain, CT $84,151

Olympia, WA $84,040

Kennewick, WA $84,040

New London, CT $84,024

Norwich, CT $84,001

Lawrence, MA $83,961

Bakersfield, CA $83,739

Riverside, CA $83,628

New Bedford, MA $83,628

Richland, WA $83,549

Portsmouth, NH $83,486

Vineland, NJ $83,470

San Bernardino, CA $83,406

Boulder, CO $83,184

Worcester, MA $83,121

Portland, OR $83,050

Saint Paul, MN $82,954

Minneapolis, MN $82,954

Philadelphia, PA $82,843

Honolulu, HI $82,423

Springfield, MA $82,146

Providence, RI $82,138

Chicago, IL $81,908

Bellingham, WA $81,813

Baltimore, MD $81,726

Chico, CA $81,528

Wilmington, DE $81,393

Pittsfield, MA $81,314

Manchester, NH $81,163

Spokane, WA $80,814

Denver, CO $80,806

Albany, NY $80,434

Troy, NY $80,402

Schenectady, NY $80,236

Burlington, VT $80,061

Portland, ME $79,784

Salem, OR $79,721

Yakima, WA $79,705

Ann Arbor, MI $79,681

Rochester, MN $79,459

Fresno, CA $79,419

Reno, NV $79,419

Milwaukee, WI $79,348

Detroit, MI $79,269

Allentown, PA $79,245

Carson City, NV $79,237

Houston, TX $79,118

Colorado Springs, CO $79,110

Syracuse, NY $79,071

Eugene, OR $78,920

Bismarck, ND $78,825

Gary, IN $78,825

Galveston, TX $78,825

Springfield, OR $78,762

Medford, OR $78,571

Fort Collins, CO $78,540

Austin, TX $78,476

Mesa, AZ $78,310

Phoenix, AZ $78,294

Dallas, TX $78,270

Reading, PA $78,223

Saint Cloud, MN $78,191

Concord, NH $78,120

Madison, WI $78,088

Utica, NY $77,874

Raleigh, NC $77,810

Las Vegas, NV $77,802

Rochester, NY $77,747

Des Moines, IA $77,739

Atlanta, GA $77,612

Battle Creek, MI $77,588

Salt Lake City, UT $77,565

Lancaster, PA $77,446

Champaign, IL $77,430

Harrisburg, PA $77,335

Durham, NC $77,264

Kansas City, MO $77,256

Kansas City, KS $77,240

Fort Worth, TX $77,232

Boca Raton, FL $77,200

Cleveland, OH $77,192

Columbus, OH $77,176

Pittsburgh, PA $77,168

Richmond, VA $77,137

Indianapolis, IN $77,121

Cincinnati, OH $77,018

Petersburg, VA $76,899

Billings, MT $76,725

Lansing, MI $76,725

Huntsville, AL $76,725

Lebanon, PA $76,717

Dayton, OH $76,709

Pueblo, CO $76,709

Appleton, WI $76,685

Buffalo, NY $76,653

Racine, WI $76,614

Charlotte, NC $76,606

Saint Louis, MO $76,582

Springfield, IL $76,550

Elkhart, IN $76,534

York, PA $76,534

Gastonia, NC $76,526

Benton Harbor, MI $76,526

Beaumont, TX $76,479

Lorain, OH $76,463

Toledo, OH $76,431

Binghamton, NY $76,392

Rock Hill, SC $76,384

Rockford, IL $76,344

Fargo, ND $76,304

Elyria, OH $76,304

Flagstaff, AZ $76,249

Fort Lauderdale, FL $76,201

Miami, FL $76,154

Duluth, MN $76,027

Bangor, ME $75,924

Cedar Rapids, IA $75,837

Louisville, KY $75,797

Grand Rapids, MI $75,781

Hialeah, FL $75,773

Casper, WY $75,662

Scranton, PA $75,567

New Orleans, LA $75,544

Virginia Beach, VA $75,536

Akron, OH $75,496

Peoria, IL $75,393

Sarasota, FL $75,377

Green Bay, WI $75,322

Baton Rouge, LA $75,282

Charleston, SC $75,266

Nashville, TN $75,242

Jamestown, NY $75,227

Davenport, IA $75,227

Tucson, AZ $75,187

Cheyenne, WY $75,163

Saint Petersburg, FL $75,139

Tampa, FL $75,123

Omaha, NE $75,108

Port Arthur, TX $75,076

Evansville, IN $75,076

Bradenton, FL $75,044

Santa Fe, NM $74,902

Orlando, FL $74,822

Clearwater, FL $74,735

Canton, OH $74,569

La Crosse, WI $74,569

Grand Forks, ND $74,545

Albuquerque, NM $74,521

Tulsa, OK $74,521

Newport News, VA $74,513

High Point, NC $74,489

Ogden, UT $74,458

Corpus Christi, TX $74,394

Laramie, WY $74,347

Norfolk, VA $74,347

Rock Island, IL $74,299

Saginaw, MI $74,283

Jacksonville, FL $74,275

Salisbury, NC $74,260

Memphis, TN $74,244

Moline, IL $74,204

Fort Myers, FL $74,180

Waterloo, IA $74,077

Spartanburg, SC $73,998

Lincoln, NE $73,958

Fort Wayne, IN $73,942

Birmingham, AL $73,855

Cedar Falls, IA $73,839

Provo, UT $73,832

Springfield, OH $73,824

San Antonio, TX $73,808

Greensboro, NC $73,776

South Bend, IN $73,768

Winston Salem, NC $73,760

Boise, ID $73,736

Savannah, GA $73,681

Muskegon, MI $73,538

Lima, OH $73,443

Lake Charles, LA $73,411

Anderson, IN $73,396

Lexington, KY $73,372

Augusta, GA $73,348

Greenville, SC $73,348

Wichita, KS $73,277

Tuscaloosa, AL $73,277

Columbia, SC $73,205

Bloomington, IN $73,007

Roanoke, VA $72,960

Asheville, NC $72,857

Knoxville, TN $72,722

Shreveport, LA $72,714

Wilmington, NC $72,611

Frankfort, KY $72,460

Oklahoma City, OK $72,405

Chillicothe, OH $72,373

Longview, TX $72,365

Topeka, KS $72,341

Mobile, AL $72,223

Terre Haute, IN $72,191

Erie, PA $72,183

Altoona, PA $72,143

Melbourne, FL $72,119

Amarillo, TX $72,088

Killeen, TX $72,064

Fayetteville, AR $72,001

Sioux Falls, SD $71,945

Chattanooga, TN $71,898

Idaho Falls, ID $71,890

Gainesville, FL $71,723

Portsmouth, OH $71,684

Little Rock, AR $71,668

Lynchburg, VA $71,668

Lafayette, LA $71,636

Youngstown, OH $71,636

Temple, TX $71,604

Daytona Beach, FL $71,588

Clarksville, TN $71,581

Pensacola, FL $71,573

Hopkinsville, KY $71,335

Charleston, WV $71,327

Florence, SC $71,287

Sioux City, IA $71,240

Macon, GA $71,010

Tallahassee, FL $71,002

Fayetteville, NC $70,986

Waco, TX $70,970

Wichita Falls, TX $70,970

Pine Bluff, AR $70,939

Vincennes, IN $70,788

Lubbock, TX $70,756

Great Falls, MT $70,709

Alamogordo, NM $70,701

Abilene, TX $70,637

Rapid City, SD $70,534

Monroe, LA $70,534

Albany, GA $70,487

Huntington, WV $70,479

Jackson, MS $70,471

Greenville, MS $70,463

Parkersburg, WV $70,384

Montgomery, AL $70,368

Johnstown, PA $70,352

Springfield, MO $70,289

Biloxi, MS $70,249

Sumter, SC $70,082

Columbus, GA $70,075

Twin Falls, ID $70,027

Pascagoula, MS $69,924

Kingsport, TN $69,718

Gulfport, MS $69,694

Alexandria, LA $69,433

Fort Smith, AR $69,234

El Paso, TX $69,020

Helena, MT $68,917

Las Cruces, NM $68,664

Harlingen, TX $68,442

Pocatello, ID $68,370

Florence, AL $68,347

Brownsville, TX $68,331

Dothan, AL $68,204

Mcallen, TX $68,164

Columbus, MS $67,578

Altus, OK $67,213

Lawton, OK $67,063

Pierre, SD $66,777

What Skills Can Increase a Legal Secretary's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Scheduling (Mentioned in 6% Job Postings): Scheduling is the process of arranging, controlling and optimizing work and workloads in a production process or manufacturing process.
Word Processing (Mentioned in 3.16% Job Postings): word processing, operation in which a text-editing software program called a word processor is used to create a document on a computer. A word-processing system can produce a wide variety of documents, including letters, memoranda, and manuals, rapidly and at relatively low cost.
Computer Systems (Mentioned in 1.43% Job Postings): A computer system is a set of integrated devices that input, output, process, and store data and information. Computer systems are currently built around at least one digital processing device.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Scheduling	6%
Word Processing	3.16%
Computer Systems	1.43%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Legal Secretary's salary.

Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Interpersonal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Flexibility	$85,602	8%
Interpersonal Communication	$84,809	7%
Presentation	$84,017	6%
Problem Solving	$83,224	5%
Work Under Pressure	$83,224	5%
Diversity and Inclusion	$83,224	5%

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How Education impacts a Legal Secretary's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Legal Secretaries enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Legal Secretary with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $76,258 and $81,721).

Legal Secretary Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Legal Secretary

No Diploma 1.4%

High School 36.4%

Associates 25.0%

Bachelors 33.1%

Masters 3.1%

Doctorate 1.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.4%
High School	36.4%
Associates	25.0%
Bachelors	33.1%
Masters	3.1%
Doctorate	1.0%

view as graph

Legal Secretary Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Legal Secretary's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$69,657

Average $79,261/year

$88,404

$5,805

Average $6,605/month

$7,367

$1,340

Average $1,524/week

$1,700

$33

Average $38/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$88,404	$7,367	$1,700	$43
Average	$79,261	$6,605	$1,524	$38
25th Percentile	$69,657	$5,805	$1,340	$33

Salaries of jobs related to Legal Secretary

Salary Trends for Legal Secretary

Salaries for a Legal Secretary can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $56,722 in 2023 to around $56,246 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Legal Secretary salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Legal Secretary Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$56,722

2024

$56,507

2025

$56,246

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$56,722
2024	$56,507
2025	$56,246
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Legal Secretary

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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