Salary and Benefits

Legal Aid DC staff receive generous benefits and competitive salaries. Legal Aid sets salaries using a step system based on previous experience and tenure at Legal Aid. All employees receive annual step increases July 1. Salary steps and scales for non-supervisory staff have been negotiated through collective bargaining with UAW Local 2023, but the compensation package applies to all employees.  

Legal Aid Employee Benefits Include:

  • 20 days annual leave, increased leave after 2 years of employment
  • 15 days sick leave with unlimited carryover  
  • 18 weeks fully paid parental leave, with a total of 26 weeks of parental leave available
  • 13 paid holidays  
  • Fully paid health insurance for the employee (with an opportunity to contribute to a higher-coverage plan)
  • Up to 3% annual retirement match
  • and more!

Salary Scales

Attorneys

Pre-Bar attorneys and fellows begin at Step 0 on the salary table below. New hires’ salary step is determined by crediting 1 step for each prior year of attorney experience since graduating law school. Law degree optional jobs may be credited differently. Attorneys are promoted to senior staff attorney positions with 5 years of experience, including at least 1 year at Legal Aid.

Legal Support Staff and Operations

New hires’ salary step is determined by crediting 1 step for each prior year of relevant experience.  

Supervisors

New hires’ salary step is determined by crediting 1 step for each prior year of relevant legal experience or other relevant experience for other professionals. New supervisors receive 25 days annual leave, increased after 5 years of employment. 

Step 

Staff Attorney, Fellow  

Senior Staff Attorney, 
Senior Counsel,  
Project Manager 

Supervisor 

Tier 1 Legal Support Staff 

Tier 2 Legal Support Staff 

0 

 

$71,054  

- 

- 

$52,428  

$55,145  

1 

 

$73,591  

- 

- 

$54,195  

$57,062  

2 

 

$75,752  

- 

- 

$55,937  

$58,979  

3 

 

$78,277  

- 

- 

$57,677  

$60,897  

4 

 

$80,802  

 - 

- 

$59,418  

$62,813  

5 

 

$85,852  

$89,879 

- 

$61,160  

$64,732  

6 

 

$87,367  

$92,632 

- 

$62,900  

$66,650  

7 

 

$88,882  

$95,383 

$117,559 

$64,642  

$68,566  

8 

 

$90,397  

$98,136 

$119,463 

$66,382  

$70,484  

9 

 

$91,912  

$100,888 

$121,458 

$68,123  

$72,402  

10 

 

$93,427  

$103,639 

$123,533 

$69,865  

$74,319  

11 

 

$95,191  

$106,392 

$125,690 

$71,605  

$76,154  

12 

 

$97,788  

$109,143 

$127,915 

$73,345  

$77,988  

13 

 

$100,384  

$111,895 

$130,208 

$75,085  

$79,822  

14 

 

$102,980  

$114,648 

$132,560 

$76,826  

$81,656  

15 

 

$105,577  

$117,399 

$134,968 

$78,566  

$83,491  

16 

 

$108,171  

$120,152 

$137,426 

$80,306  

$85,325  

17 

 

$110,768  

$122,902 

$139,929 

$82,047  

$87,159  

18 

 

$113,365  

$125,655 

$142,475 

$83,787  

$88,993  

19 

 

- 

$128,407 

$145,059 

$85,527  

$90,827  

20 

 

- 

$131,158 

$147,676 

$87,267  

$92,662  

21 

 

-  

$133,911 

$150,327 

$89,008  

$94,496  

22 

 

- 

$136,663 

$153,006 

$90,748  

$96,330  

23 

 

- 

-  

$155,709 

$92,488  

$98,164  

24 

 

- 

-  

$158,436 

$94,228  

$99,999  

25 

 

- 

- 

$161,184 

$95,969  

$101,833  

26 

 

- 

- 

$163,952 

- 

- 

27 

 

- 

- 

$166,735 

- 

- 

28 

 

- 

- 

$169,535 

- 

- 

29 

 

- 

- 

$172,346 

- 

- 

30 

 

- 

- 

$175,172 

- 

- 

31 

 

- 

- 

$178,009 

- 

- 

32 

- 

- 

$180,855 

- 

-