Lawyers pay in Virginia
$179,240avg. a year
$86.17 an hour · 18,580 employed
Lawyers in Virginia earn an average of $179,240 a year. That is $6,600 (4%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $226,780.
$167,210Median pay
$86.17Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
#14Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Virginia metro areas
Average pay for lawyers by metro area. Swipe to see all 11.
146,840 jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$226,780
$109.03 an hour
23,780 jobs
Richmond, VA
$173,400
$83.37 an hour
32,280 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$159,670
$76.76 an hour
4390 jobs
Charlottesville, VA
$157,910
$75.92 an hour
5480 jobs
Roanoke, VA
$153,590
$73.84 an hour
6250 jobs
Lynchburg, VA
$147,240
$70.79 an hour
7130 jobs
Harrisonburg, VA
$142,340
$68.43 an hour
8300 jobs
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
$139,480
$67.06 an hour
9140 jobs
Winchester, VA-WV
$135,990
$65.38 an hour
10130 jobs
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
$134,490
$64.66 an hour
1180 jobs
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA
$126,060
$60.61 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Lawyers pay in Virginia, charted
Pay over time
Virginia, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Virginia lawyers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Virginia highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $132k$132k–$160k$160k–$180k$180k+Virginia
Virginia vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $185,840 | $89.35 |
| Virginia | $179,240 | $86.17 |
| District of Columbia | $242,800 | $116.73 |
| Tennessee | $163,870 | $78.79 |
| North Carolina | $160,340 | $77.09 |
| Maryland | $157,370 | $75.66 |
| West Virginia | $123,210 | $59.24 |
Related jobs in Virginia
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$70,740
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$125,190
- Judicial Law Clerks$70,140
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$87,050
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$58,850
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$158,160
Average pay, Virginia, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do lawyers make in Virginia?
The average is $179,240 a year, and the median is $167,210. That is $6,600 (4%) less than the U.S. average of $185,840.
What is the hourly wage in Virginia?
$86.17 an hour on average; the median is $80.39.
Where in Virginia do they earn the most?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($226,780), followed by Richmond, VA ($173,400). The lowest average among 11 metro areas with data is Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA ($126,060).
How does Virginia rank?
Virginia ranks #14 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 23-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national lawyers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.