The average salary for a legal secretary in California is around $62,860 per year.
Avg Salary
Legal secretaries earn an average yearly salary of $62,860.
Wages typically start from $40,710 and go up to $106,580.
8% below national average Updated in 2025
Legal secretary earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level legal secretary earnings begin at:
$51.24 per hour
$106,580 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level legal secretary earnings begin at:
$38.78 per hour
$80,650 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level legal secretary earnings begin at:
$30.22 per hour
$62,860 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level legal secretary earnings begin at:
$24.06 per hour
$50,040 per year
10th percentile
Starting level legal secretary earnings begin at:
$19.57 per hour
$40,710 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Legal secretary salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $99,280 |
| New York | $72,230 |
| Connecticut | $66,220 |
| Delaware | $66,130 |
| Minnesota | $63,180 |
| New Jersey | $63,080 |
| Rhode Island | $63,020 |
| California | $62,860 |
| Massachusetts | $62,120 |
| Maryland | $61,440 |
| Alaska | $61,280 |
| Oregon | $59,610 |
| Colorado | $59,490 |
| Washington | $58,360 |
| New Mexico | $57,800 |
| Michigan | $56,870 |
| Nevada | $56,470 |
| Wisconsin | $55,410 |
| Virginia | $55,320 |
| Arizona | $55,120 |
| North Dakota | $53,540 |
| Utah | $52,860 |
| South Carolina | $52,840 |
| Illinois | $52,790 |
| New Hampshire | $51,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,430 |
| Ohio | $51,080 |
| Hawaii | $49,460 |
| Vermont | $49,090 |
| Florida | $48,510 |
| Georgia | $48,460 |
| Louisiana | $48,050 |
| Maine | $48,040 |
| South Dakota | $47,790 |
| Indiana | $47,740 |
| West Virginia | $46,960 |
| Wyoming | $46,960 |
| Iowa | $46,590 |
| Alabama | $45,950 |
| Oklahoma | $45,950 |
| Texas | $45,940 |
| Nebraska | $45,800 |
| Tennessee | $45,340 |
| Mississippi | $45,140 |
| North Carolina | $43,720 |
| Idaho | $41,880 |
| Arkansas | $41,410 |
| Kentucky | $39,300 |
| Missouri | $38,560 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $38,200 |
| Guam | $36,770 |
| Montana | $36,750 |
| Kansas | $36,620 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,050 |
How do legal secretary salaries compare to similar careers?
Legal secretaries earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than transit police officers but more than security guards.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Transit police officer salary | $110K |
| Fish and game warden salary | $100K |
| Correctional officer salary | $96K |
| Paralegal salary | $77K |
| Judicial law clerk salary | $79K |
| Legal secretary salary | $63K |
| Private detective salary | $61K |
| Security guard salary | $43K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)