Lawyers Salary in Washington, DC (2024)
Lawyers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median of $191,880 per year ($92.25 per hour) based on 48,170 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +26.9% against the national median of $151,160 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where lawyers actually sit across the pay range in Washington, DC, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49.21 | $102,360 | |
| 25th percentile | $73.71 | $153,320 | |
| Median | $92.25 | $191,880 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | — | — | |
| 90th percentile | — | — | |
| Average (mean) | $105.48 | $219,400 |
How Washington, DC compares
The local median of $191,880 runs +26.9% above the US median of $151,160 for this occupation; it pays 180.4% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($68,430); within the metro it ranks 8th of 703 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC — this occupation | $191,880 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $151,160 | +26.9% |
| Washington, DC — all occupations | $68,430 | +180.4% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $215,090 | -10.8% |
Washington, DC has an unusually deep bench in this occupation — the location quotient of 3.18 means the job is roughly 318% as common here as it is nationally, which usually reflects a specialised local industry cluster.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.8%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 8th of 703 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Washington, DC
To put $191,880 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 8th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $225,340 | 390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224,330 | 1,900 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,030 | 1,740 |
| Psychiatrists | $219,970 | 570 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $218,490 | 230 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $199,990 | 150 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $191,880 | 20,770 |
| Lawyers | $191,880 | 48,170 |
| Physicians, All Other | $191,880 | 11,170 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $189,770 | 300 |
Where lawyers earn the most
Across the 24 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $125,380 to $215,090. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $215,090 | 16,940 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $205,900 | 40,990 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $203,450 | 93,730 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $194,740 | 18,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $191,880 | 48,170 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $180,940 | 12,590 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $165,000 | 8,990 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,680 | 9,440 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $161,420 | 5,600 |
See the full national picture on the Lawyers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for lawyers in Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $191,880, or $92 per hour. That means half of the lawyers working in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $219,400.
Is lawyers pay in Washington, DC above the local average?
Yes, it is 180.4% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $68,430. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Washington, DC pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $191,880 the metro median is 26.9% higher than the US median of $151,160 for lawyers. Across the 24 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $125,380 to $215,090.
How many lawyers work in Washington, DC?
BLS counts about 48,170 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 15.45 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. Washington, DC has an unusually deep bench in this occupation — the location quotient of 3.18 means the job is roughly 318% as common here as it is nationally, which usually reflects a specialised local industry cluster.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 1.8%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.