Quick answer:Lawyers in the Washington area earn a median $195,190 per year, above the national median of $159,670, and the metro employs about 46,840 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Law Pay in Washington, DC
Metric
Washington metro
District of Columbia
National
Median annual wage
$195,190
$195,190
$159,670
10th percentile
$106,520
$120,580
$78,360
25th percentile
$161,470
$172,060
$102,990
75th percentile
$309,140
$360,310
$221,370
90th percentile
$382,890
$392,750
$351,600
Employment
46,840
33,070
754,500
Location quotient
3.08
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Washington median of $195,190 is above the national median of $159,670, and level with the District of Columbia statewide median of $195,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 3.08 means lawyers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Legal hiring follows courts, corporate headquarters and government offices, so the local concentration of those is what determines how many positions are open in a given market.
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Lawyers are admitted to practice state by state. The national framework is a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school, a bar examination set by the state, and a character and fitness review. Which degrees confer bar eligibility, whether any distance study is permitted, and how the examination is scored are all decided by the individual state bar, and they differ more than most applicants expect.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 6 schools
within 4 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
6 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
The median annual wage for lawyers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area is $195,190, above the national median of $159,670 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many lawyers work in the Washington area?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area employs about 46,840 lawyers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do lawyers in Washington need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Lawyers are admitted to practice state by state. The national framework is a Juris Doctor from an ABA-approved law school, a bar examination set by the state, and a character and fitness review. Which degrees confer bar eligibility, whether any distance study is permitted, and how the examination is scored are all decided by the individual state bar, and they differ more than most applicants expect. Confirm current requirements with the bar in the state where you intend to practice.
Can I study law online from Washington?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the bar in the state where you intend to practice.
Is Washington a better market than the rest of District of Columbia?
The Washington metro median is $195,190 against a statewide median of $195,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Lawyers (SOC 23-1011), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
