Legal Secretary Salary: What the Data Shows
If you are looking for a precise legal secretary salary figure, the official statistics do not provide one. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish median weekly earnings for 6-digit occupations such as legal secretaries (ANZSCO 521212). Jobs and Skills Australia also lists the median weekly earnings as 'N/A'. This means any exact number you see online is likely an estimate or from a private survey, not an official source.
However, we can still place the role in context using the national benchmarks that Average line uses.
The National Full-Time Average
The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026 reported that full-time adult ordinary time earnings averaged $2,083.70 per week. That works out to about $108,352 a year (multiplied by 52). This is the line that all salaries on this site are measured against. For men the full-time ordinary time average was about $113,412 a year; for women it was about $100,594. The full-time median (from the ABS Employee Earnings survey, August 2025) is about $90,532 a year, and the all-employees median is about $74,100.
Where Legal Secretaries Fit
Legal secretaries are classified under the occupation group 'Clerical and Administrative Workers'. According to the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025), the average weekly total cash earnings for all non-managerial employees in that group was $1,370.60. That is about $71,271 a year. But this average includes part-time and full-time workers, and it is not specific to legal secretaries. The legal secretary workforce is 97% female, with a median age of 42, and 59% work full-time hours (average 39 hours per week for full-timers). Part-time workers typically earn less per week, which pulls down the average.
Because the ABS does not publish a separate median for legal secretaries, we cannot give a reliable figure. The closest official data is the clerical and administrative worker average, but that covers many roles (receptionists, data entry, etc.) and may not reflect the specialised nature of legal secretarial work.
How Pay Is Set
Legal secretaries may be covered by the Legal Services Award or by individual agreements. Award minimums increased by 4.75% from 1 July 2026. The national minimum wage itself is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week (38 hours), or about $52,255 a year. Most legal secretaries would earn above this, but without published medians we cannot say by how much.
State Comparisons
If you are working in a particular state, the full-time average varies. For example, the Australian Capital Territory has the highest full-time average at about $119,090 a year, while Tasmania is lowest at about $96,008. States and territories have their own averages that can help you gauge local pay levels.
Using the Site
On Average line, you can place a salary on the line to see how it compares to the national full-time average. Because no official legal secretary figure exists, you might enter an estimate based on your own pay or job advertisements. The tool will show you the weekly and hourly equivalents (based on a 38-hour week) and the distance from the $108,352 line.
Other Benchmarks
For broader context, you can explore job medians for clerical and administrative roles, or industry medians for legal services. The Guides section explains how awards and enterprise agreements affect pay. And How the figures are set details the methodology behind the ABS surveys.
Tax Considerations
If you earn a legal secretary salary, the 2026–27 resident tax rates apply: nil up to $18,200; 15% from $18,201 to $45,000; 30% from $45,001 to $135,000; 37% from $135,001 to $190,000; and 45% above that. Plus a 2% Medicare levy (reductions may apply for low incomes). These rates are before any offsets or deductions.
Summary
In short, there is no official legal secretary salary figure from the ABS or Fair Work. The best available data is the clerical and administrative worker average of about $71,271 a year, but that is a broad category. For a more precise picture, you would need to consult industry surveys or job advertisements. The national full-time average of $108,352 remains the benchmark on this site.
About this site explains our commitment to using only official Australian statistics.