Legal salary ranges in Washington DC
What open legal postings in Washington DC say they pay: the top and the low end of the range each one states, in yearly dollars.
By level
How far the posted top moves from one level to the next, for legal in Washington DC.
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Junior27 postings$250,000$135k–$303k
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Senior60 postings$165,000$122k–$232k
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Manager and above40 postings$206,000$164k–$266k
Best-paying companies in Washington DC
Ranked by the median top of their open legal postings in Washington DC, among companies with at least three that state pay.
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Anthropic3 with pay$345,000$308k–$345k
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Axiom Talent Platform4 with pay$325,000$325k–$325k
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Gibson Dunn14 with pay$298,000$216k–$485k
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Freddiemac3 with pay$280,000$280k–$314k
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Databricks5 with pay$272,000$182k–$302k
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Barnes & Thornburg LLP3 with pay$250,000$200k–$300k
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Capital One3 with pay$229,000$161k–$229k
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Booz Allen Hamilton13 with pay$225,000$158k–$303k
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Robinhood3 with pay$220,000$178k–$238k
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CoreWeave6 with pay$208,000$179k–$241k
Legal pay by place
The same work in every place with enough postings, highest median first; Washington DC is marked.
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SF Bay Area816 postings$248,000$188k–$300k
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Boston221 postings$213,000$148k–$275k
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Seattle204 postings$201,000$145k–$251k
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New York1,132 postings$200,000$133k–$260k
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Portland22 postings$195,000$89k–$245k
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Austin89 postings$191,000$135k–$245k
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Denver116 postings$185,000$120k–$240k
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San Diego135 postings$180,000$106k–$243k
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Remote1,577 postings$175,000$120k–$230k
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Atlanta87 postings$166,000$107k–$214k
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All of the US8,584 postings$165,000$108k–$233k
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Washington DC289 postings$165,000$101k–$240k
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Dallas176 postings$165,000$108k–$230k
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Salt Lake City35 postings$165,000$84k–$221k
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Los Angeles289 postings$160,000$105k–$225k
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Chicago295 postings$159,000$119k–$218k
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Philadelphia44 postings$159,000$99k–$218k
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Miami44 postings$104,000$71k–$200k
Using these numbers
- Before you apply, check where the posting's own range sits against the middle half here. A range far below it is worth a question before you spend an afternoon on the application.
- When they ask what you expect, a figure inside the middle half for your level is one the market has already posted. Name the top of the posting's range if your experience matches what it asks for.
- Remember what a top is: the most a company says it may pay for the role. Offers land anywhere in the range, and equity and bonus are not in it.
Questions
How much do legal jobs pay in Washington DC?
Open legal postings in Washington DC that state pay post a median top of $165,000 a year; the middle half runs from $101,000 to $240,000, and the median low end of the ranges is $115,000. That is from 289 postings as of October 14, 2026.
How does the pay change with level?
For legal postings in Washington DC, the median posted top is $250,000 for junior, $165,000 for senior, $206,000 for manager and above.
Which companies post the most for legal in Washington DC?
Among companies with at least three postings that state pay, Anthropic ($345,000), Axiom Talent Platform ($325,000), Gibson Dunn ($298,000) post the highest median tops.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the pay ranges employers state in their own open job postings, which DonutApply reads from company job boards and public job feeds every day. They are what a company says it may pay for the role, not salaries anyone reported.
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