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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

43-6012 Legal Secretaries

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
176,880 1.5 % $24.06 $50,040 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.43 $16.83 $22.29 $29.83 $37.63
Annual Wage (2) $27,920 $35,000 $46,360 $62,060 $78,280


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 148,210 13.02 $24.14 $50,220
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,000 0.18 $22.86 $47,540
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 8,570 0.39 $22.24 $46,250
Employment Services 1,320 0.04 $24.60 $51,170
Insurance Carriers 1,310 0.11 $25.89 $53,850

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 148,210 13.02 $24.14 $50,220
Other Investment Pools and Funds 60 0.70 $26.44 $54,990
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 8,570 0.39 $22.24 $46,250
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,000 0.18 $22.86 $47,540
Insurance Carriers 1,310 0.11 $25.89 $53,850

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 120 0.02 $42.26 $87,890
Other Information Services 50 0.02 $33.88 $70,470
Real Estate (8) (8) $32.15 $66,860
Telecommunications 140 0.02 $31.10 $64,680
Rail Transportation 60 0.03 $30.24 $62,890


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 26,220 1.54 1.26 $27.20 $56,570
New York 15,440 1.64 1.35 $26.89 $55,920
Texas 12,990 1.07 0.88 $22.32 $46,430
Florida 9,460 1.10 0.90 $21.90 $45,550
New Jersey 9,020 2.23 1.82 $24.36 $50,660




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 3,540 4.97 4.07 $41.44 $86,190
Rhode Island 1,120 2.32 1.90 $23.18 $48,220
Delaware 1,010 2.25 1.84 $25.13 $52,270
New Mexico 1,820 2.24 1.83 $18.10 $37,640
New Jersey 9,020 2.23 1.82 $24.36 $50,660




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 3,540 4.97 4.07 $41.44 $86,190
Massachusetts 3,920 1.10 0.90 $28.38 $59,020
California 26,220 1.54 1.26 $27.20 $56,570
New York 15,440 1.64 1.35 $26.89 $55,920
Washington 2,780 0.85 0.70 $26.25 $54,590





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 18,790 1.98 1.62 $27.18 $56,540
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 12,190 1.99 1.63 $26.82 $55,790
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,160 1.33 1.09 $26.15 $54,380
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5,520 1.94 1.58 $26.25 $54,610
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,100 1.63 1.33 $36.51 $75,930
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,200 1.62 1.33 $23.49 $48,850
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,990 1.12 0.92 $27.34 $56,870
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,680 1.23 1.01 $22.04 $45,840
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,540 1.46 1.20 $33.39 $69,440
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 3,100 1.57 1.28 $23.10 $48,040




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Santa Fe, NM 240 3.84 3.14 $22.10 $45,960
Charleston, WV 360 3.18 2.60 $19.42 $40,390
Birmingham-Hoover, AL 1,600 3.13 2.56 $23.56 $49,010
Dothan, AL 170 2.96 2.42 $15.53 $32,290
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 110 2.94 2.41 $20.39 $42,410
Enid, OK 70 2.88 2.36 $19.44 $40,440
Great Falls, MT 100 2.83 2.31 $15.82 $32,910
Rapid City, SD 180 2.76 2.26 $17.57 $36,540
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 1,500 2.71 2.22 $20.57 $42,790
Lafayette, LA 500 2.57 2.10 $17.70 $36,810




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,100 1.63 1.33 $36.51 $75,930
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,540 1.46 1.20 $33.39 $69,440
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,380 1.23 1.01 $33.38 $69,430
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,000 1.09 0.89 $30.44 $63,310
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,640 0.83 0.68 $30.03 $62,470
Boulder, CO 120 0.63 0.52 $29.17 $60,670
Santa Rosa, CA 100 0.50 0.41 $28.01 $58,260
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 710 1.22 1.00 $27.99 $58,230
Napa, CA 70 0.96 0.79 $27.61 $57,430
Raleigh, NC 570 0.91 0.74 $27.35 $56,890

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 330 2.10 1.72 $15.99 $33,250
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 310 0.80 0.65 $17.23 $35,850
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 290 2.01 1.65 $16.93 $35,210
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 280 1.88 1.54 $15.38 $32,000
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 280 1.66 1.36 $14.28 $29,710

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 220 2.88 2.36 $16.88 $35,110
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 140 2.38 1.95 $16.29 $33,890
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 330 2.10 1.72 $15.99 $33,250
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 190 2.09 1.71 $19.45 $40,450
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 290 2.01 1.65 $16.93 $35,210

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 80 0.89 0.73 $28.63 $59,550
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 170 1.74 1.42 $25.45 $52,930
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $23.46 $48,810
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 70 0.63 0.52 $22.97 $47,770
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $22.25 $46,270


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019