Legal assistant salary in Australia: award rates, super and tax explained

Understanding the legal assistant salary in Australia

If you're looking into a legal assistant salary, the first place to check is the Legal Services Award 2020, which sets the minimum pay for legal clerical and administrative employees. This award covers roles like legal assistant, legal secretary, law clerk and law graduate. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes the official rates and a pay guide that summarises them.

Award minimums for legal assistants

The award classifies legal clerical and administrative employees into five levels (Level 1 to Level 5) plus a separate Level 6 for law clerks. As of 1 July 2026, the minimum weekly rates are:

• Level 1: $1,073.10 per week ($28.24 per hour)
• Level 2: $1,119.10 ($29.45/hr)
• Level 3: $1,182.10 ($31.11/hr)
• Level 4: $1,241.40 ($32.67/hr)
• Level 5: $1,291.80 ($33.99/hr) – also applies to law graduates
• Level 6 (law clerk): $1,369.20 ($36.03/hr)

These rates are the minimum for full-time adult employees working 38 ordinary hours per week. Part-time and casual employees get the same hourly rate plus loadings. Casual loading is 25% on top of the minimum hourly rate, so a casual Level 1 legal assistant would earn $35.30 per hour.

Junior employees (under 21) are paid a percentage of the adult rate – for example, a 19-year-old at Level 1 gets 80% of $28.24, which is $22.59 per hour.

How the salary index applies to legal assistant pay

The Salary Index compares a gross annual salary to the national benchmark of full-time adult ordinary-time earnings. The national line is $108,352 per year (index 100). A legal assistant on the Level 1 award minimum earns about $55,801 annually (52 weeks × $1,073.10), giving an index of roughly 51. That's just above the national minimum wage index of 48.2.

However, many legal assistants earn more than the award floor. Experience, firm size and location all push pay higher. For example, in Western Australia (state index 106.9) or the ACT (109.9), salaries tend to be above the national average. In contrast, Tasmania (88.6) or South Australia (94.6) may be lower. The states page shows how your location affects the index.

Superannuation and tax on a legal assistant salary

From 1 July 2026, the superannuation guarantee is 12% of ordinary time earnings. For a legal assistant on the Level 1 weekly rate of $1,073.10, the employer must contribute an extra $128.77 per week into a super fund. That brings total remuneration to $1,201.87 per week, or $62,497 annualised. The super is not included in your take-home pay but is a key part of your overall compensation.

Tax on a legal assistant salary depends on your total taxable income. For 2026–27, the tax rates are:

• Nil on the first $18,200
• 15% on $18,201–$45,000
• 30% on $45,001–$135,000
• Plus 2% Medicare levy on all taxable income

A legal assistant earning $55,801 would pay about $6,717 in income tax and $1,116 in Medicare levy, leaving a take-home of roughly $47,967 per year. If you have a HELP debt or salary sacrifice, the numbers change.

Allowances and other payments

The award also provides for allowances that can boost a legal assistant's pay. For example:

• Meal allowance: $20.75 for the first meal, $16.54 for extra meals
• Vehicle allowance: $1.00 per km for a motor car
• Uniform or special clothing allowance: $3.75 per week
• Standing by allowance: paid at the minimum hourly rate

These are not part of the base salary but can add up if you regularly work overtime or travel.

Where legal assistant salaries sit in the broader market

The ABS does not publish median earnings for legal assistants as a separate occupation (the 6-digit ANZSCO code for legal secretaries is 521212). Jobs and Skills Australia reports that there are about 7,700 legal secretaries in Australia, 97% female, with a median age of 42. Most work in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (i.e., law firms). Average full-time hours are 39 per week, slightly below the all-occupations average of 44.

Because median earnings data is not available, the best guide is the award rates and any enterprise agreements at larger firms. The industries page shows that the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry has an index of 114.7, meaning average pay is about 15% above the national line. Legal assistants in that industry likely earn above the award minimum.

Practical example: take-home pay for a legal assistant

Let's say you're a full-time legal assistant at Level 2 in a Sydney firm (NSW index 101.2). Your award minimum is $1,119.10 per week, but your employer pays you $1,250 per week (about $32.89/hr). Annualised that's $65,000. Your super contribution (12%) is $7,800 per year. Your tax (including Medicare) on $65,000 would be approximately $9,217, leaving a take-home of $55,783 per year, or $1,072 per week. That's a realistic figure for an experienced legal assistant in a capital city.

Key takeaways

• The legal assistant salary is regulated by the Legal Services Award, with minimum hourly rates from $28.24 to $36.03.
• The salary index for award minimums is around 51, but actual pay can be higher.
• Superannuation at 12% adds significantly to total remuneration.
• Tax on a typical legal assistant salary falls in the 30% bracket, with Medicare levy of 2%.
• For the most accurate pay information, check the pay guides and consult your employer or union.

Understanding your legal assistant salary means knowing the award floor, how super and tax affect your pocket, and where your pay sits relative to the national benchmark. Use the Salary Index to compare your gross salary to the national line.