Background: In a region full of driven professionals, the women of the Washington, D.C. area have a remarkable advantage: few places in America promote women into leadership more often.

The Washington, D.C. area ranks 4th out of 81 major U.S. metros with a Glass Ceiling Score of 88% (A-), far above the 60% national average. The capital region outranks Richmond (46th), Baltimore (60th), Philadelphia (64th) and Norfolk (66th), trailing only San Francisco, Chattanooga and Greensboro nationwide. From Northern Virginia to suburban Maryland, that is a record worth applauding.

These rankings are drawn from the Glass Ceiling Score, a new free tool showing how often women at a company move up into management and executive roles compared with men. Women can use it to select employers that genuinely advance women and to negotiate salary or promotion with local evidence behind them. In a market where many women weigh offers from contractors, hospital systems, hotel groups and consulting firms, it provides an apples-to-apples way to see which organizations are serious about developing female executives.

Look up any company by name, compare it with industry competitors, or browse the rankings by metro. The region's largest employers are included: MedStar Health, Marriott, Inova, Giant Food and Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz Allen Hamilton earned a 93% (A), ranking 67th among the area's 200 largest employers, and Marriott scored an 81% (B+).

A Toast to the 2026 Outstanding Women's Workplaces

The Women Leaders Association congratulates the employers named 2026 Outstanding Women's Workplaces, an honor for the top 10% of the more than 2,000 largest U.S. employers. Selection is based only on workforce results. There is no application, fee or sponsorship of any kind.

For winners, the recognition pays dividends. Accomplished women investigate how an employer promotes women before applying, so honorees stand out to the strongest candidates. They also benefit from better retention, a more robust leadership bench and greater standing with customers, agencies and partners.

The honorees reflect the DMV's mix of sports, media, policy, real estate and professional services. Among this year's winners are the Washington Wizards, Web Summits, Fairfax Times, Van Metre, Consero, NCTA, Quadrant, Precision Strategies, Jobin Realty, Firmseek, and many more.