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Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Iowa

Considering working as a Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants in Iowa? Here’s what you need to know. 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.

What do Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Make in Iowa?

We don’t have state-specific wage data for this career in Iowa. See the national figures below.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, legal secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median of $55,524 per year ($26.69/hour).

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 730,280 legal secretaries and administrative assistants in the U.S.. In Iowa alone, around 1,190 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 1,450 legal secretaries and administrative assistants.

Top Iowa Metros for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

The metro areas below employ the most legal secretaries and administrative assistants in Iowa.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	410	n/a
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	120	$37,010
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	80	$37,710
Cedar Rapids, IA	60	$39,360
Dubuque, IA	50	$41,530
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	50	$42,430

Top States for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Employment

These states have the highest employment of legal secretaries and administrative assistants work.

State	Number Employed
California	23,960
New York	15,430
Florida	10,970
Texas	9,900
Illinois	8,860
Pennsylvania	6,440
Ohio	5,170
North Carolina	4,460
Washington	4,090
New Jersey	3,910
Massachusetts	3,880
Tennessee	3,440
Arizona	3,320
Michigan	3,070
Virginia	2,800
Louisiana	2,790
Minnesota	2,500
Indiana	2,400
Puerto Rico	2,350
Missouri	2,320

Highest-Paying States for Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

The highest-paying states for legal secretaries and administrative assistants.

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$101,170
New York	$74,400
Delaware	$63,740
Maryland	$63,110
Rhode Island	$61,970
Connecticut	$61,440
Massachusetts	$61,440
California	$61,320
Minnesota	$61,300
New Jersey	$60,400

Skills

Top legal secretaries and administrative assistants skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for legal secretaries and administrative assistants, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants typically:

• 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.
• Complete various forms, such as accident reports, trial and courtroom requests, and applications for clients.
• Receive and place telephone calls.
• Schedule and make appointments.
• Draft and type office memos.
• Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use.
• Make travel arrangements for attorneys.

Work Activities

• Performing Administrative Activities
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Working with Computers
• Processing Information
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Analyzing Data or Information
• Getting Information
• Scheduling Work and Activities
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Intuit QuickBooks In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Related college programs include:

Related Careers

Related occupations to legal secretaries and administrative assistants include:

• Compliance Officers
• Lawyers
• Judicial Law Clerks
• Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
• Paralegals and Legal Assistants
• Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Also Known As

Accredited Legal Secretary, Certified Legal Secretary Specialist, Confidential Secretary, Law Firm Administrator, Law Office Assistant, Law Secretary, Legal Administrative Assistant (Legal Admin Assistant), Legal Administrator (Legal Admin), Legal Coordinator, Legal Executive Assistant (Legal Exec Assistant), Legal Management Assistant, Legal Office Support Assistant, Legal Practice Assistant, Legal Receptionist, Legal Secretary.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-6012.00