Washington D.C. - Legal Marketing & BD Salary Guide

​​Welcome to Ambition’s Legal Marketing & BD salary guide, specifically for Law firms in Washington D.C.

The salary data in this guide is drawn from the salaries of roles we have actively recruited for this year as well as from market data. You will notice that the salary bandings are relatively broad, reflecting the differences in firm sizes and their respective pay scales. Please note that the data we procured reflected a minimal differential between salaries in the DC, Boston, and Chicago markets, which is why we have grouped them together in this report. 

For more tailored advice, whether for yourself or your team, please contact us directly.

Market update

Hiring across marketing and business development teams remained very strong in 2025, driven by both newly created roles and replacement hires.

Demand was particularly high at the mid-management level, with steady movement from professionals making lateral moves as well as those seeking their first step into management, though the pool of candidates ready for promotion continued to tighten. For individuals at this level, the market offered a wide range of opportunities, making 2025 an excellent year to explore new roles.

Changes in senior leadership at many firms throughout 2025 and late 2024 also led to the creation of new positions aligned with leadership’s evolving strategic vision. Within general practice BD roles, there was a clear increase in focus on client development and relationship management, either as centralized functions or as part of broader BD responsibilities.

In addition, demand for external communications, brand, and client intelligence roles rose above 2024 levels, representing one of the few areas where law firms actively sought talent from outside the legal sector.

At the senior end of the market, there was significant movement at the Associate Director and Director levels. While many opportunities were concentrated in corporate and transactional practices, there was also strong demand for senior marketing and BD professionals supporting litigation teams.

Firms also became more location-agnostic in their hiring approach, recruiting across multiple markets to expand their candidate pools and access a wider range of talent.

Throughout 2025, Washington DC, continued to see a high volume of roles, making it our largest market outside of New York.

There was strong demand across a range of seniority levels. Reflecting the makeup of the DC market, a significant proportion of these positions were focused on litigation and regulatory functions.

We saw a notable increase in Antitrust roles compared with 2024, with firms seeking candidates who brought deep specialist expertise. A high percentage of these roles were also newly created within existing marketing functions.

In response to the ongoing talent shortage in legal marketing, firms became more open to positioning roles in DC that might not previously have been considered there. This was particularly evident at the Assistant Director and Director levels, where individuals were often managing teams distributed across the US.

In line with national trends, the market remains especially challenging for hiring managers at the middle-management level. These professionals continue to be inundated with opportunities, creating intense competition among firms for this talent.

With respect to in-office expectations, as firms look to move back to four days in the office, we have seen more resistance in the DC market than in New York.

This is largely attributable to local geography and a higher proportion of professionals commuting from outside the city. This shift has also been challenging for many individuals to adapt to, and there is a general consensus that firms offering three or fewer in-office days have a strong competitive advantage.

The team at Ambition is always happy to answer any questions you may have about the market so please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance.

Legal Marketing & BD Salary Guide 2026

Download the salary guide as a PDF

​Legal Business Development & Marketing Salaries in Washington D.C.

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Legal Communications Salaries in Washington D.C.

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Legal Events Salaries in Washington D.C.

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Legal Bids/Pitches Salaries in Washington D.C.

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Notes on salary table:

• The above salaries are based on remuneration in global law firms. Titles and levels vary from firm to firm.

• ​The salary ranges given are only approximate guides. For tailored salary advice, please contact us directly.

• ​12-month base salaries are assumed.

• ​All other benefits and bonuses are in addition to these figures.

• ​Bonus ranges can vary significantly from firm to firm and will be influenced by market conditions, and business & individual performances.

• For more tailored salary advice, please get in touch with ben.curle@ambitionsearch.com or call Ben on 212 540 9207.