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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $54,140 in the US and is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows high AI exposure (0.78 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Time Management.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £26,968 a year for Legal secretaries (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,242 to £31,660 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 4212). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Legal secretaries and administrative assistants, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administrative
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Communications and Media
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Legal secretaries and administrative assistants do?
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.
How much does Legal secretaries and administrative assistants earn?
The median annual salary for Legal secretaries and administrative assistants in the US is $54,140.
What is the job outlook for Legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
The role is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 156,300 workers.
How do I become legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Legal secretaries and administrative assistants need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Time Management, Critical Thinking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
Our AI-durability model gives Legal secretaries and administrative assistants a score of 0.78 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Legal secretaries and administrative assistants has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.