In California, legal secretary work brings in the money. Legal secretaries in California are earning about $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year. If you have no experience, you will make less when you start but get trained in the processes the money will follow. Once you learn how to type pleadings and understand law, court filings and procedures, you will be well on your way to more money. The senior litigation secretaries in the larger law firms can make as much as $75,000 per year. This is not a bad salary for a high school graduate. Learn as much as you can on the job, and you will go far in your career.