Salaries · United States · District of Columbia
Salaries in District of Columbia 2026
The median pay for all jobs in the District of Columbia is $91,540 a year ($44.01 an hour), 80% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in the District of Columbia earn a median of $103,686 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in District of Columbia: the key figures
| Figure | District of Columbia | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $91,540 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $111,010 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $39,650 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $195,190 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 701,920 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $103,686 ± $1,020 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $109,870 ± $1,937 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 109.9 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $18.40 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $91,540, a single person keeps about $68,416 a year ($5,701 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, District of Columbia income tax. With prices 10% above the US average, $91,540 here buys what $83,300 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $91,540 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$11,309 |
| Social Security | -$5,675 |
| Medicare | -$1,327 |
| District of Columbia income tax | -$4,812 |
| Take-home a year | $68,416 |
What drives pay in the District of Columbia
Pay in Washington follows what the city does: government, law and policy. The federal civilian government produced 25.1% of DC's GDP in 2025 and paid 31.9% of all employee compensation, against 2.1% and 3.0% for the US (BEA). Legal services added 8.7% of GDP (US 1.4%), and other services, the category that includes associations and nonprofits, 6.6% (US 2.0%).
These employers hire mostly professionals. Lawyers are the third most common job, 33,070 of them on a median of $195,190, and business operations specialists, general and operations managers and management analysts fill most of the rest of the top five. Even the lowest-paid jobs pay more than elsewhere: only one worker in ten earns less than $39,650 (US $31,200), under an $18.40 minimum wage. Together that gives a median of $91,540, 80% above the US and the highest of the 50 states and DC.
Much of that pay is earned by commuters. DC residents receive 41.4% of the wages paid in the District, according to the city's Office of Revenue Analysis, so the figures on this page describe jobs located in DC, many of them held by people who live outside the District.
Federal cuts are now shrinking the job base. Federal jobs located in DC fell 11.1% in the year to August 2026, from 184,200 to 163,700, and professional and technical jobs fell 7.0%. Total jobs fell 3.5% to 714,100, after a 2.7% drop the year before, and wages paid in the District in the second quarter of 2026 were 2.0% lower than a year earlier, with federal wages down 15.1%. Real GDP fell 1.0% in 2025 while the US grew 2.3%.
The highest-paid jobs in the District of Columbia
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Managers | 7,410 | $197,600 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 5,690 | $195,190 |
| Lawyers | 33,070 | $195,190 |
| Financial Managers | 8,930 | $188,880 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,290 | $185,220 |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,250 | $184,350 |
| Marketing Managers | 3,470 | $177,170 |
| Managers, All Other | 18,570 | $175,720 |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,110 | $175,720 |
| General and Operations Managers | 36,150 | $168,000 |
| Economists | 3,000 | $167,590 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,460 | $167,520 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 2,980 | $160,760 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 1,540 | $156,730 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 17,200 | $156,590 |
The most common jobs in the District of Columbia
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 37,790 | $108,160 | $52.00 |
| General and Operations Managers | 36,150 | $168,000 | $80.77 |
| Lawyers | 33,070 | $195,190 | $93.84 |
| Management Analysts | 19,000 | $126,140 | $60.65 |
| Managers, All Other | 18,570 | $175,720 | $84.48 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 17,200 | $156,590 | $75.29 |
| Public Relations Specialists | 16,720 | $102,740 | $49.40 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 16,400 | $38,520 | $18.52 |
| Security Guards | 15,880 | $64,210 | $30.87 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 12,810 | $42,700 | $20.53 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 11,800 | $59,910 | $28.80 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 11,530 | $47,850 | $23.01 |
| Registered Nurses | 11,440 | $102,540 | $49.30 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 9,810 | $111,530 | $53.62 |
| Financial Managers | 8,930 | $188,880 | $90.81 |
Pay for careers we cover, in the District of Columbia
Official BLS medians for the District of Columbia; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | 33,070 | $195,190 |
| Actuary | 160 | $166,230 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 290 | $157,600 |
| Pharmacist | 850 | $153,400 |
| Dental Hygienist | 320 | $137,220 |
| Software Engineer | 6,120 | $136,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 680 | $135,880 |
| Physician Assistant | 470 | $135,140 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 1,510 | $135,090 |
| Data Scientist | 2,680 | $126,490 |
| Elevator Technician | $122,570 | |
| Accountant | 9,810 | $111,530 |
| Compliance Officer | 4,380 | $111,030 |
| UX Designer | 480 | $107,650 |
| Financial Analyst | 3,670 | $105,780 |
| Project Manager | 5,170 | $104,900 |
| Registered Nurse | 11,440 | $102,540 |
| Plumber | 1,010 | $101,020 |
| Paralegal | 6,400 | $89,750 |
| HVAC Technician | 400 | $84,390 |
| Electrician | 2,440 | $78,970 |
| Welder | 280 | $60,180 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 820 | $47,760 |
District of Columbia and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $91,540 | 109.9 | $83,300 |
| Maryland | $59,510 | 105.0 | $56,700 |
| Virginia | $55,690 | 101.1 | $55,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in the District of Columbia, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Government of the District of Columbia, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Revenue Analysis: District of Columbia Economic and Revenue Trends, September 2026, September 2026 report (PDF dated 27 Oct 2026; data to August 2026 and 2026 Q2)
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States