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E-MAILLegal assistant salary & career outlook
by Aimee Hosler | December 12, 2011
Legal assisting is a fast-growing, competitive industry. Legal assistants support attorneys, performing a wide range of non-clerical duties ranging from case research to trial preparation. While many legal assistants' skills are general, some focus on one particular area of law, like mergers and acquisitions, family law, or intellectual property.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that legal assistants increasingly perform work previously reserved for attorneys, a trend that underscores the importance of well-trained legal assistants and paralegals.
Earnings report: Legal assistants' salaries by the numbers
Legal assisting can pay well, especially for what many consider to be a quick-entry field. While the BLS reports the median legal assistant salary in 2010 was $46,680, earnings may actually be higher in some instances. In its National Utilization and Compensation Survey, the National Association of Legal Assistants reports that the average legal assistant salary in 2010 was $54,755 — a number that's $8,000 more than the BLS-reported average. One of the biggest factors influencing earnings was education: Assistants with Advanced Paralegal Certification, for instance, earned $61,750 on average. Specialization also pays: Securities and antitrust legal assistants earned in excess of $75,000, more than any other specialty.
Where you work can also impact your earnings. According to the BLS, the following states boasted the highest median legal assistant salaries in 2010:
- Washington DC
- California
- New York
Cost of living also influences your salary potential: Washington DC and California may pay the most, but they are also two of the most expensive regions on the country. According to 2010 data from both the BLS and the Council for Community and Economic Research, the following areas were among the top-paying for legal assistants relative to cost of living:
- Southern Georgia
- Reno, NV
- Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
While location and specialty influence earnings, education remains the most important consideration; poorly trained legal assistants are unlikely to go far, no matter where they work.
Training counts: How to become a legal assistant
Legal assistants perform increasingly complicated and specialized work, a trend that emphasizes the importance of training. While some legal assistants are employer-trained, most earn certificates, associate degrees or bachelor's degrees from accredited legal assistant schools. Note that specialized training can trump degree level, at least in terms or salary: the NALA notes that in 2010, legal assistants with undergraduate certificates earned more on average than those with associate or bachelor's degrees. A number of schools now offer legal assistant training online, an ideal solution for working legal assistants trained on-the-job who want to sharpen their skills (and resumes).
Career outlook for legal assistants
The legal assistant industry is growing, and fast: the BLS projects that positions among legal assistants will grow by an impressive 28 percent in the decade preceding 2018. Still, legal assisting is a popular field and job competition will remain steep. The BLS notes that experienced, formally trained legal assistants should fare best, as should those specializing in intellectual property, health care and international law.
