Firms in Northern Virginia jumped headlong into the salary wars in 1999.

It’s been building for a few years, but now it’s official: The job market for associates in Northern Virginia looks more like that of the District than the job markets of Richmond or Hampton Roads. At the biggest firms, starting salaries jumped a full $10,000 this year, bringing them within shooting distance of the six-figure salaries D.C. firms are lavishing on their greenest associates.