FederalPay.org
Legal Assistant - Federal Salaries of 2021
Pay Rates for "Legal Assistant"
How much does a Legal Assistant in the federal government get paid? $59,444.73* *Based on the 2021 average.Legal Assistant was the 62nd most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2021, with 4,790 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2021, the Social Security Administration hired the most employees titled Legal Assistance, with an average salary of $60,831.
Government Legal Assistance jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Legal Assistance job is GS-1, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-9. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
Clerical, secretary, and administrative positions fall under this category. No specialized technical background is needed for positions in this category except for stenographers which require a proficiency exam before being hired. Strong organizational and communication skills are the primary requirements for this job category. Military experience can often be applied as relevant experience when calculating starting grade. Employees in the job category receive promotions of 1 grade increase at a time.
Agencies that have hired a Legal Assistant
Legal Assistant Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Legal Assistant is $59,444.73. The highest paid Legal Assistant made $121,048 in 2021.
Common Legal Assistant Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Legal Assistance Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 4,706 |
| GL - Gs Employees In Grades 3 Through 10 Paid A Law Enforcement Officer Special Base Rate | 32 |
| NB - Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency Only | 14 |
| FG - Similar To The General Schedule | 10 |
| CG - Corporate Graded | 9 |
| SK - Non-supervisorty Postions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under Gs Pay | 6 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 5 |
| CN - Bureau Of Consumer Financial Protect(cfpb) Independent Agcy Within The Fed Res Syst(use By Cfpb Only) | 3 |
| SV - Transportation Security Administration Employees Other Than Executives | 2 |
| CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Positions Previously Defined Under Pay Plan Codes Ad, Es, Gm, And Gs | 1 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 1 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $20,999.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-1, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $63,734.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-9, Step 10 |
| Category: | Clerical and Administrative Support |
| Occupation Family: | 0900 LEGAL AND KINDRED GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-1 Paygrade
GS-1 is the starting paygrade for Legal Assistance jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-1 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claims Assistance and Examining | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Safety Technician | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Coding | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Soil Conservation Technician | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Military Pay | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
Average Legal Assistance Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a Legal Assistant was $41,404. Since then, the average pay has increased to $59,445 in 2021.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0986.