Is this a competitive Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$37K
P25$44K
P50$56K
P75$72K
P90$92K
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $55,578 to $71,968 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is $55,578 per year ($26.72/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $44,450 and $71,968 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $91,728 per year. There are approximately 156,280 legal secretaries and administrative assistants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-5.8%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
20K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
156K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Legal Services
NAICS 541100
126K
$54,900
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
12K
$53,620
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
8K
$58,660
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
1K
$67,440
Business Support Services
NAICS 561400
1K
$43,900
Wage range across top 5 industries: $43,900 to $67,440 (54% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.55
$36,504
P25
$21.37
$44,450
P50MEDIAN
$26.72
$55,578
P75
$34.60
$71,968
P90
$44.10
$91,728
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average legal secretaries and administrative assistants salary?
The national median salary for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is $55,578 per year ($26.72/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $44,450 and $71,968 annually.
How much do top-earning legal secretaries and administrative assistants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants is $91,728 per year ($44.10/hr). The 75th percentile is $71,968 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for legal secretaries and administrative assistants?
Entry-level Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (10th percentile) earn approximately $36,504 per year ($17.55/hr). The 25th percentile is $44,450 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
