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Administrative Support Personnel, Legal Secretary, Office Personnel, Secretary
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in compiling information to maintain filing systems; and in reviewing documents and correspondence to ensure that they comply with legal procedures and grammatical usage
Interest in operating computers, and other office equipment; may train other staff in the use of current software
Interest in speaking with people to schedule employers' appointments, meetings and conferences; in opening and distributing regular and electronic mail and other materials; and in co-ordinating the flow of information internally and with other departments and organizations; may supervise other staff in procedures
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Duties and responsibilities vary from one organization to another. In general, legal assistants prepare correspondence and legal documents. These include trust documents, wills, mortgages, contracts, statutory declarations, affidavits, applications, and briefs. They use word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software. They also:
They also may attend court or conferences to take notes, minutes, and dictation. They may attend hospitals or residences to witness a client’s signature on documents. With experience, their duties and responsibilities may overlap with those of paralegals. For more information, see the Paralegal occupational profile.
Legal assistants work in fast-paced office environments. They usually work standard office hours but may need to work overtime to meet deadlines. Deadlines include such things as real estate closing dates and timelines for filing and serving documents.
Legal assistants need:
They should be comfortable dealing with people. They should enjoy operating equipment such as computers. They should like compiling and organizing information.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 26 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 13, 2021 and May 25, 2022.
Review these skills to learn:
| Prepare and key in correspondence and legal documents | 25 |
|---|---|
| Review and proofread documents and correspondence to ensure compliance with legal procedures and grammatical usage | 23 |
| Open and distribute regular and electronic incoming mail and other material and co-ordinate the flow of information | 22 |
| Business Equipment and Computer Applications: MS Word | 21 |
| Maintain filing system | 21 |
| Personal Suitability: Team player | 21 |
| Personal Suitability: Organized | 21 |
| Schedule and confirm appointments | 20 |
| Personal Suitability: Effective interpersonal skills | 20 |
| Personal Suitability: Client focus | 20 |
Employers need legal assistants to be computer literate. They must have fast, accurate keyboarding skills. The preferred typing speed is 80 words a minute. A post-secondary certificate or diploma in office administration, internet literacy, and familiarity with legal vocabulary are assets.
Prospective students should ask employers about the suitability and reputation of training programs before enrolling in a program. For information about related 2-year diploma programs, see the Paralegal occupational profile.
The Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) offers professional development courses for legal support staff.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Legal assistants work for:
In large organizations, experienced legal assistants may advance to paralegal or supervisory positions.
In Alberta, 80% of people employed as legal assistants work in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (pdf) industry.
The employment outlook (pdf) in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
In Alberta, the 1242: Legal administrative assistants occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 2.3% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 172 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $16.48 | $28.85 | $22.51 | $23.08 |
| Overall | $25.71 | $34.60 | $30.74 | $30.91 |
| Top | $28.62 | $73.60 | $41.60 | $40.72 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| Public Administration | $61,110 |
|---|---|
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $56,571 |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | $56,037 |
Alberta Association of Professional Paralegals website: www.alberta-paralegal.com
Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) website: www.lesaonline.org
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2019. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.