Attorneys in Virginia earn a median annual salary of $167,210 and a mean of $179,240. The gap between those two figures reflects a wide spread in the market, so your offer should be anchored to the seniority and practice area of the specific role rather than either benchmark alone. For context, the bottom 10% of earners start near $79,330 while the top 10% reach $320,220 or beyond.
Lawyer salary in Virginia (2026)
The average annual salary for a lawyer in Virginia is $179,240. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $167,210 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Virginia employs 18,580 lawyers, and the $12,030 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior lawyers in Virginia typically earn around $79,330, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $320,220 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a lawyer hire in Virginia, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $167,210 |
Average Annual Salary | $179,240 |
vs. National Average | 3.6% below the national mean of $185,840 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 18,580 employed lawyers across Virginia.
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Lawyer salary percentiles in Virginia
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $79,330 |
25th Percentile | $107,710 |
75th Percentile | $207,480 |
90th Percentile | $320,220 |
Employers setting an offer for a lawyer in Virginia should expect a wide range depending on seniority, with entry-level roles clustering near $79,330 and experienced specialists reaching $320,220 or beyond. The distance between the 25th and 75th percentiles alone spans $99,770, which means the candidate's experience level and practice area will drive compensation more than any single benchmark figure.
Lawyer salary by city in Virginia
City | Average Annual Salary |
Arlington | $226,780 |
Richmond | $173,400 |
Virginia Beach | $159,670 |
Charlottesville | $157,910 |
Roanoke | $153,590 |
Where you hire within Virginia will have a material impact on your compensation budget. Arlington lawyers average $226,780, which is $73,190 more than the Roanoke average of $153,590, so a remote or hybrid arrangement that draws from lower-cost markets can create meaningful budget flexibility without sacrificing candidate quality.
How Virginia compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Virginia | $179,240 | $167,210 |
Georgia | $191,190 | $134,830 |
Pennsylvania | $169,170 | $157,180 |
Tennessee | $163,870 | $136,180 |
North Carolina | $160,340 | $127,710 |
Maryland | $157,370 | $139,110 |
Virginia sits in the middle of this peer group on average pay, which means employers here face broadly comparable compensation expectations to most neighboring states. Georgia's higher mean of $191,190 is driven by a wide spread between its mean and median, while Virginia's median of $167,210 is the highest in this comparison, signaling that mid-market lawyer pay in Virginia is relatively elevated compared to peers like North Carolina at $127,710 and Maryland at $139,110.
Frequently asked questions about lawyer salary in Virginia
How much do attorneys make in Virginia?
How does Virginia compare to other states for lawyer salary?
Virginia's mean lawyer salary of $179,240 places it above Pennsylvania ($169,170), Tennessee ($163,870), North Carolina ($160,340), and Maryland ($157,370), but below Georgia ($191,190). Virginia's median of $167,210 is the highest among this peer group, which means mid-market compensation expectations here are elevated relative to most nearby states. Employers recruiting across state lines should factor this in when benchmarking offers for candidates who have options in multiple markets.
What do the top-earning lawyers make in Virginia?
Lawyers at the 90th percentile in Virginia earn $320,220 or more. Employers competing for senior specialists or highly experienced attorneys in practice areas like corporate law or litigation should plan for offers well above the statewide median of $167,210. The Arlington metro, where the average reaches $226,780, gives a useful local benchmark for what top-market compensation looks like in the state's highest-paying region.
What is the average lawyer salary in Virginia?
The average lawyer salary in Virginia is $179,240 per year. That figure sits 3.6% below the national mean of $185,840, so Virginia is a modestly cost-effective market relative to the national baseline. When budgeting a hire, use the median of $167,210 as your anchor and adjust upward based on the candidate's experience level and the specific demands of the role.
Lawyer salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 23-1011 (Lawyers).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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