Salario de Abogado en Virginia (2026)
Salario promedio de Abogado en Virginia
$179,240/año
≈ $86/hora antes de impuestos
Después de impuestos (soltero)
$124,284/año
$10,357/mes · tasa efectiva 30.66%
- Federal $31,752
- Estatal $9,492
- FICA $13,712
- Neto
Salario por puesto en Virginia
- BigLaw Equity Partner$950,000–$3,200,000+
- BigLaw Senior Associate (8th yr)$365,000–$420,000
- BigLaw Associate (1st yr)$215,000–$250,000
- Federal-Contracting / GovCon Counsel$215,000–$485,000
- In-House Counsel (Capital One / Booz Allen)$185,000–$420,000
- Energy / Financial Services (Hunton)$215,000–$520,000
Ver el desglose fiscal completo
| Categoría | Cantidad |
|---|---|
Sueldo Neto Anual | $124,284 |
Sueldo Neto Mensual | $10,357 |
Sueldo Neto Quincenal | $4,780 |
Sueldo Neto por Hora basado en 2,080 hrs/año | $60/hr |
Impuesto Federal | $31,752 |
Impuesto Estatal | $9,492 |
Impuestos FICA | $13,712 |
Tasa Efectiva de Impuesto impuestos totales ÷ salario bruto | 30.66% |
Virginia is one of the country's most structurally distinctive US legal markets — NoVA federal-contracting + GovCon legal practice (Capital One McLean + Booz Allen + Northrop Grumman + Leidos + GD IT + SAIC + CACI) is unmatched outside DC, DC-VA cross-border BigLaw via Hogan Lovells / Arnold & Porter / Skadden / Wiley Rein is structurally unique, McGuireWoods Richmond + Williams Mullen + Hunton Andrews Kurth + Kaufman & Canoles anchor in-state BigLaw, and W&L Law + UVA Law + George Mason Law + W&M Law alumni networks are dense statewide. VA 2-5.75% + 0% local + 0.82% property tax is structurally cleaner than OH (RITA / CCA) or PA (EIT). SB 528 military retirement exemption phases to $40K by 2026.
No todas las Abogados ganan lo mismo — ni de cerca
VA's legal market clusters around three regional ecosystems plus the DC-VA cross-border BigLaw arc and federal-contracting GovCon practice. NoVA: Hogan Lovells Northern VA + Arnold & Porter / Skadden / Wiley Rein / Crowell & Moring DC-VA cross-border + Williams Mullen NoVA + McGuireWoods Tysons + Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman / Leidos / GD IT / SAIC / CACI in-house. Richmond: McGuireWoods Richmond (HQ — major VA-HQ firm with banking + corporate) + Williams Mullen + Hunton Andrews Kurth (Richmond — major energy + financial services). Hampton Roads / Norfolk: Williams Mullen Norfolk + Kaufman & Canoles + Vandeventer Black + maritime law specialty.
BigLaw Equity Partner
$950,000–$3,200,000+
Hogan Lovells / Arnold & Porter / Skadden DC-VA · McGuireWoods Richmond · Williams Mullen · Hunton Andrews Kurth
BigLaw Senior Associate (8th yr)
$365,000–$420,000
Cravath scale matched at top NoVA + Richmond firms
BigLaw Associate (1st yr)
$215,000–$250,000
Cravath scale at top NoVA / DC-VA + Richmond firms; Hampton Roads 12-18% below
Federal-Contracting / GovCon Counsel
$215,000–$485,000
FAR / DFARS / DCAA / Bid Protest practice · structurally unique to NoVA
In-House Counsel (Capital One / Booz Allen)
$185,000–$420,000
Capital One McLean + Booz Allen Hamilton + Northrop Grumman + Leidos + General Dynamics IT
Energy / Financial Services (Hunton)
$215,000–$520,000
Hunton Andrews Kurth Richmond energy + financial services nationally ranked
Litigation Associate
$200,000–$385,000
Commercial litigation + government contracting + appellate practice strong statewide
Maritime / Hampton Roads Specialty
$170,000–$385,000
Williams Mullen Norfolk + Vandeventer Black + Kaufman & Canoles maritime + admiralty
Government / Prosecutor (USAO/State)
$80,000–$180,000
Federal AUSA EDVA + WDVA scale; Fairfax / Henrico / Arlington county prosecutors competitive
Vale la pena saber: Federal-contracting / GovCon law is structurally unique to NoVA — Capital One McLean + Booz Allen Hamilton + Northrop Grumman + Leidos + GD IT + SAIC + CACI + DXC cluster supports specialized FAR + DFARS + DCAA cost-accounting + Bid Protest + Suspension & Debarment practice unavailable elsewhere. The DC-VA cross-border BigLaw arc is structurally important — Hogan Lovells, Arnold & Porter, Skadden, Wiley Rein, Crowell & Moring all have substantial NoVA + DC offices that draw VA-resident lawyers. McGuireWoods Richmond is the largest Richmond-HQ firm with substantial banking + corporate practice. Hunton Andrews Kurth (Richmond) operates a nationally ranked energy + financial services practice.
VA law — NoVA GovCon density, DC-VA cross-border arc, and the clean tax structure
0%
VA local income tax — one of only six states with no city or county overlay
$185-485K
NoVA federal-contracting / GovCon counsel — structurally unique to NoVA
$40K
SB 528 military retirement exemption max by 2026 — meaningful for retiring military JAG
VA BigLaw billable hour expectations match the national standard — 1,950–2,100 hours per year at McGuireWoods Richmond, Hogan Lovells Northern VA, Williams Mullen, Hunton Andrews Kurth, and other major VA firms. The intensity matches NYC firms; office culture varies by firm. Cravath-scale entry comp at top NoVA + Richmond firms; Hampton Roads firms typically 12-18% below Cravath. DC-VA cross-border employers (Hogan Lovells, Arnold & Porter, Skadden, Wiley Rein, Crowell & Moring, Wilkinson Stekloff) match Cravath scale for VA-resident NoVA-employed associates.
Federal-contracting / GovCon law is the structurally unique VA specialty — no other US region has the density of Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman / Leidos / GD IT / SAIC / CACI in-house + outside-counsel ecosystem. FAR + DFARS + DCAA cost-accounting + Bid Protest + Suspension & Debarment + ITAR / EAR export-control + Federal cybersecurity / FedRAMP practice are all NoVA specialties. The post-2020 federal AI / cyber / defense modernization wave has materially expanded NoVA federal-contracting legal demand.
The DC-VA cross-border BigLaw arc is structurally important — VA-resident lawyers at DC-area firms (Hogan Lovells, Arnold & Porter, Skadden DC, Wiley Rein, Crowell & Moring) pay VA tax (DC has no income tax for non-residents under the Home Rule Act). VA's 5.75% top + 0% local + 0.82% property tax is structurally cleaner than DC's 9.75% top rate. The DC-VA tax arbitrage saves a $415K senior associate ~$15-22K/year vs DC residence at the same comp tier.
VA's progressive 2-5.75% with top above just $17K means most attending lawyers effectively pay 5.75%. For a $415K senior associate, VA state tax = ~$24K. VA has no local income tax — one of only six states without city or county overlay, structurally cleaner than OH (RITA / CCA at 1.8-2.5%) or PA (EIT 1-3.92%). Property tax 0.82% on a $1M McLean / Vienna home = $8.2K/year vs $22K+ NJ equivalent. SB 528 military retirement exemption phases to $40K by 2026 (from $20K in 2024) — meaningful for retiring military JAG / federal civil-service lawyers transitioning to civilian practice.
VA Age Deduction caps at $12K with phase-out (~$50K single / $75K ) — less generous than PA's full retirement exemption. For senior VA BigLaw partners retiring with $300K-$500K of + SS, AGI typically exceeds the phase-out and most retirement income is state-taxable at 5.75%. Total VA retirement burden runs $13-22K/year. Some senior partners relocate to FL / TN / NC; many stay in-state because Outer Banks / Shenandoah / Charlottesville second-home access outweighs marginal relocation savings.
Virginia for lawyers — NoVA GovCon + Richmond McGuireWoods + Hampton Roads maritime
NoVA legal market: Hogan Lovells Northern VA + Arnold & Porter / Skadden / Wiley Rein / Crowell & Moring DC-VA cross-border + Williams Mullen NoVA + McGuireWoods Tysons. Capital One McLean + Booz Allen Hamilton + Northrop Grumman + Leidos + GD IT + SAIC + CACI in-house anchor unmatched federal-contracting density. Housing Fairfax (McLean / Vienna / Oakton / Falls Church) / Loudoun (Ashburn / Herndon / Leesburg) at $750K-$1.4M, or Fredericksburg / Spotsylvania exurban at $400-575K.
Richmond legal market: McGuireWoods Richmond (HQ — among largest VA firms with banking + corporate practice), Williams Mullen, Hunton Andrews Kurth (Richmond — nationally ranked energy + financial services), Sands Anderson, Christian & Barton. Housing Henrico (Glen Allen / Short Pump) / Hanover / Chesterfield at $400-650K — meaningfully cheaper than NoVA. Richmond is the cost-of-living arbitrage VA lawyer market.
Hampton Roads / Norfolk legal market: Williams Mullen Norfolk + Kaufman & Canoles (Norfolk HQ) + Vandeventer Black + Wilcox & Savage. Maritime + admiralty law specialty (Norfolk port + Naval Station Norfolk + Newport News Shipbuilding) is structurally unique to the metro. Housing Virginia Beach / Chesapeake / Suffolk at $360-600K. Charlottesville and Roanoke anchor secondary academic markets at smaller scale.
VA late-career retirement: Age Deduction caps at $12K with phase-out — less generous than PA's full retirement exemption. For senior VA BigLaw partners with $300K+ of + SS, total VA retirement burden runs $13-22K/year. SB 528 ($40K military retirement exemption by 2026) materially reduces state tax for retired military JAG + federal civil-service lawyers. Many stay in-state because cheap property + Outer Banks / Shenandoah / Charlottesville second-home access outweighs marginal relocation savings.
How VA progressive 2-5.75% + 0% local + 0.82% property + SB 528 reshape lawyer comp
VA progressive 2-5.75% with top above just $17K means most attending lawyers effectively pay 5.75%. For a $415K senior associate, VA state tax = ~$23K vs NJ ~$24K, NY+NYC ~$44K. No local income tax (one of only six states without overlay) is cleaner than OH (RITA / CCA) or PA (EIT). Combined federal + VA + Medicare marginal at $415K ~33-35%. Property tax 0.82% on a $1M McLean / Vienna home = $8.2K/year vs $22K+ NJ equivalent. The DC-VA tax arbitrage is structural — VA residence + DC employment saves ~$15-22K/year vs DC residence at the same comp tier.
eligibility broad for federal AUSA / state AG / federal judiciary / military JAG / state court judges + government employer lawyers. The federal civil-service career path combines PSLF + FERS pension + for a distinctive long-term retirement structure. NoVA federal-contracting / GovCon practice (Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman / Leidos / GD IT / SAIC / CACI) supports specialized FAR / DFARS / DCAA + Bid Protest + ITAR / EAR / FedRAMP cybersecurity practice unavailable elsewhere.
SB 528 military retirement exemption phases to $40K by 2026 (from $20K in 2024) — transformative for retiring military JAG (Pentagon legal + Quantico + Norfolk Navy + Langley Air Force) and federal civil-service lawyers. Age Deduction caps at $12K with phase-out (~$50K single / $75K ). SS is fully VA-exempt regardless. For senior lawyers retiring with $300K+ of + SS, distribution timing matters at the $50K / $75K AGI breakpoint.
VA conforms to federal Section 1202 — federal $10M exclusion preserved (relevant for NoVA fintech / cybersecurity / defense-tech startups). VA PTET election saves $4K-$9K/year on $400-800K net SE income. VA bar via UBE post-2017 — reasonable reciprocity. Tangible personal property tax ("car tax") on vehicles adds $400-1,200/year per personal vehicle.
- →DC-VA tax arbitrage — VA residence + DC employment (Hogan Lovells / Arnold & Porter / Skadden DC / Wiley Rein) saves ~$15-22K/year vs DC residence
- →NoVA federal-contracting / GovCon path — Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman / Leidos / GD IT / SAIC / CACI offer specialized FAR / DFARS / DCAA + Bid Protest practice unavailable elsewhere
- →SB 528 military retirement exemption — file for up to $40K/year by 2026; meaningful for late-career military JAG transitioning to civilian practice
- → (~$47,500/year) at McGuireWoods / Hogan Lovells NoVA / Williams Mullen / Hunton Andrews Kurth — builds tax-free growth
- →VA PTET election for partner distribution — federal -cap workaround saving $4K-$9K/year on $400-800K net SE income
- →Plan retirement distribution timing to keep below Age Deduction phase-out (~$50K single / $75K )
Three Virginia lawyer markets — what each one looks like
VA's legal market is genuinely tri-polar — NoVA (federal-contracting + DC-VA cross-border BigLaw), Richmond (McGuireWoods HQ + Hunton energy / financial services), and Hampton Roads (maritime + Naval Station Norfolk specialty). Each has distinctive employment models.
NoVA (Hogan Lovells / Arnold & Porter / Skadden DC-VA + Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman)
DC-VA cross-border Cravath $215K-$3.2M+ partner · McGuireWoods Tysons / Williams Mullen NoVA $200K-$2.8M · GovCon counsel $215K-$485KHogan Lovells Northern VA + Arnold & Porter / Skadden / Wiley Rein / Crowell & Moring DC-VA cross-border + Williams Mullen NoVA + McGuireWoods Tysons. Capital One McLean + Booz Allen Hamilton + Northrop Grumman + Leidos + GD IT + SAIC + CACI in-house. Housing Fairfax / Loudoun at $750K-$1.4M, or Fredericksburg / Spotsylvania exurban at $400-575K.
NoVA is the federal-contracting / GovCon legal hub of the country. The DC-VA tax arbitrage is the marquee NoVA lawyer move — VA residence + DC employment saves ~$15-22K/year vs DC residence at the same comp tier.
Richmond (McGuireWoods HQ / Williams Mullen / Hunton Andrews Kurth)
McGuireWoods Cravath-adjacent $215K-$3.0M+ partner · Williams Mullen / Hunton $200K-$2.5M · in-house $170K-$340KMcGuireWoods Richmond (HQ — among largest VA firms with banking + corporate practice), Williams Mullen, Hunton Andrews Kurth (Richmond — nationally ranked energy + financial services), Sands Anderson, Christian & Barton. Housing Henrico (Glen Allen / Short Pump) / Hanover / Chesterfield at $400-650K — meaningfully cheaper than NoVA.
Richmond is the cost-of-living arbitrage VA lawyer market. Hunton Andrews Kurth's nationally ranked energy practice + McGuireWoods' banking + corporate depth make Richmond a genuine BigLaw market in its own right.
Hampton Roads (Williams Mullen Norfolk / Kaufman & Canoles + maritime)
Williams Mullen Norfolk / Kaufman & Canoles $185K-$1.4M+ partner · maritime specialty $170K-$385K · in-house $155K-$290KWilliams Mullen Norfolk + Kaufman & Canoles (Norfolk HQ) + Vandeventer Black + Wilcox & Savage. Maritime + admiralty law specialty (Norfolk port + Naval Station Norfolk + Newport News Shipbuilding) is structurally unique to the metro. Housing Virginia Beach / Chesapeake / Suffolk at $360-600K.
Hampton Roads is the maritime + admiralty law epicenter for VA. Naval Station Norfolk + Newport News Shipbuilding create maritime / admiralty / DOD-contracting practice unique to the metro.
The Virginia lawyer career arc — NoVA GovCon to in-state retirement
VA BigLaw entry compensation reaches Cravath scale at top NoVA + Richmond firms ($215K + bonus for first-year associates) and at DC-VA cross-border employers (Hogan Lovells, Arnold & Porter, Skadden DC, Wiley Rein, Crowell & Moring, Wilkinson Stekloff). VA bar admission is via UBE for new admittees post-2017; reciprocity from many states is reasonable. W&L Law + UVA Law + George Mason Law + W&M Law alumni networks are dense and self-reinforcing within the state.
Years 1-3 attending pay range $215K-$355K + bonus. The associate years compound aggressively in VA because cost of living is lower than coastal markets and the 5.75% + 0% local stack is far cheaper than NY+NYC (14.776% top) and close to NJ at associate pay. A 5th-year NoVA BigLaw associate earning $385K + $90K bonus ($475K) pays about $26.5K of VA tax — roughly $1.6K less than an NJ peer (~$28.1K) and $23.5K less than an NYC peer (~$50K NY + NYC).
Years 4-10 attending ($355K-$715K TC). Subspecialty premium for federal-contracting / GovCon / energy / financial services / banking runs 5-10% above general practice. McGuireWoods Richmond / Hogan Lovells NoVA / Williams Mullen / Hunton Andrews Kurth partnership trajectories run 9-11 years to equity partnership; non-equity partner $700K-$1.4M. Equity partner profits-per-partner reach $3M+ at top of market. Lateral moves from coastal firms into NoVA BigLaw have grown materially since 2020.
Years 10+ (senior partner / department chair / late career). $665K-$3.2M+ TC at top VA BigLaw partner tier. VA retirement structure is moderately favorable — 5.75% top + 0% local + 0.82% property + SB 528 (qualifying retirees) + full SS exemption. Many late-career VA lawyers downshift into of-counsel work or mediation. Retired military JAG at O-6 / Captain with 20+ years capture SB 528 ($40K exemption) + military pension. The Outer Banks / Shenandoah / Charlottesville second-home + NoVA / Richmond primary residence combination is a classic VA late-career pattern.
Where Virginia lawyers actually live
VA lawyer housing weights schools + commute + practice location + cost-of-living arbitrage. Most under-45 lawyers buy single-family in suburban metro near practice; senior partners upgrade to premium primary residence near top private school. NoVA Fairfax / Loudoun + Richmond Henrico + Hampton Roads Virginia Beach are the dominant clusters. Many NoVA career lawyers settle Fredericksburg / Spotsylvania exurban for housing math.
McLean / Vienna / Oakton (Fairfax)
Top-tier suburban schools · Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman access · DC-VA cross-border BigLaw 15-30 min · $850K-$1.4M
Ashburn / Leesburg (Loudoun)
Tysons / Reston federal-contracting cluster access · suburban schools · $700K-$1.1M
Fredericksburg / Stafford / Spotsylvania
NoVA jobs at half the housing cost · I-95 commute · $400-575K · exurban arbitrage
Glen Allen / Short Pump (Henrico)
Top suburban schools · McGuireWoods + Hunton + Williams Mullen Richmond access · $400-650K
Virginia Beach / Chesapeake (Hampton Roads)
Coastal lifestyle · Williams Mullen Norfolk + Kaufman & Canoles access · $400-650K · hurricane risk
Charlottesville (Albemarle)
UVA Law adjacency · top schools · $500-900K · academic small-town
VA cost-of-living arbitrage + 5.75% top + 0% local + 0.82% property tax + SB 528 (military retirees) make in-state retirement attractive. Civilian senior VA lawyers with $1M+ portfolios still see modest FL / TN / NC savings but gap is smaller than higher-tax states. Many career VA lawyers stay through retirement because Outer Banks / Shenandoah / Charlottesville second-home access outweighs marginal savings. Hurricane risk along Hampton Roads coast is real but manageable.
¿Es la decisión correcta?
Virginia for lawyers — federal-contracting + DC-VA cross-border arbitrage
A tu favor
- +NoVA federal-contracting / GovCon legal practice is structurally unique — Capital One / Booz Allen / Northrop Grumman / Leidos / GD IT / SAIC / CACI density unmatched outside DC
- +DC-VA cross-border BigLaw arc (Hogan Lovells / Arnold & Porter / Skadden DC / Wiley Rein) is structurally unique to the region
- +McGuireWoods Richmond (HQ) + Hunton Andrews Kurth + Williams Mullen anchor major VA-headquartered practices
- +Zero local income tax — one of only six states without city or county overlay
- +0.82% property tax is among lowest in country — half OH 1.55%, third of NJ 2.21%
- +SB 528 military retirement exemption phasing to $40K by 2026 — meaningful for retiring military JAG
Vale la pena saber antes de firmar
- −Top 5.75% state rate kicks in above just $17K — most attendings effectively pay top rate
- −NoVA housing ($750K-$1.4M for top-tier school districts) erodes net wealth-building meaningfully
- −Age Deduction caps at $12K with AGI phase-out — less generous than PA's full retirement exemption
- −Top BigLaw partner ceilings trail NYC at the very top of the market
- −Tangible personal property tax ("car tax") on vehicles adds $400-1,200/year per personal vehicle
- −Charlottesville and Roanoke markets are materially smaller — career mobility limited outside major metros
Fuentes y Metodología
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — tramos federales y deducción estándar 2026
- →IRS Notice 2025-67 — límites de aportación a planes de jubilación 2026
- →IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — límites de aportación a HSA 2026
- →Administración del Seguro Social — base salarial del Seguro Social 2026
- →Virginia Tax - TAX RATE SCHEDULE (2% to $3,000, 3% to $5,000, 5% to $17,000, 5.75% above)
- →Estadísticas de Empleo y Salarios por Ocupación (BLS OES) — datos salariales de Abogado en Virginia
Las cifras salariales son estimaciones de mercado para Abogado en Virginia y varían según el empleador, la especialidad, la antigüedad y el área metropolitana. Los cálculos de sueldo neto asumen un declarante soltero sin dependientes, la deducción estándar y las tasas estatales de Virginia para 2026. Los impuestos locales, las primas de seguro y las aportaciones antes de impuestos cambiarán tu resultado — usa la calculadora para tu situación específica.
Calcula tu caso
- Calculadora de sueldo de Virginia → · 401(k), HSA, dependientes
- calculadora de bonos → · fin de año, firma, retención
- calculadora de ganancias de capital → · tasas a largo plazo, NIIT, impuesto estatal
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