Paralegal salary in Washington, DC
Based on 19 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Rockville, Bethesda, Herndon, Fairfax, Tysons.
Also listed as: Legal Assistant, Legal Analyst
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $55,249 |
| 25th | $65,884 |
| 50th (median) | $70,928 |
| 75th | $120,919 |
| 90th | $171,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $76,813 | $55,500 | $85,000 | 10 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2024 | $50,482 | $50,482 | $57,621 | 10 |
| FY2025 | $69,368 | $62,400 | $91,927 | 10 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 9 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Paralegal salary of $70,928 is worth about $65,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Paralegals and Legal Assistants in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $81,590 in May 2025 (12,990 employed). The H-1B median here is $70,928, 13% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Clifford Chance | too few | 4 |
| Donoso & Partners | too few | 3 |
| EarthRights International | too few | 2 |
| Shah and Kishore | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 4 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 4 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.