Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Across all occupations in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, the median wage is $71,060 a year ($34.16 an hour) and the mean $91,930, May 2025. That median is +39% against the US median of $50,980 and −22% against the District of Columbia's $91,540. BLS counts 3,136,190 jobs in the area, which spans District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. The highest-paying occupation is radiologists; the largest is general and operations managers.
All occupations: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV vs District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $17.43 | $21.63 | $34.16 | $58.50 | $83.94 | $44.20 | 3,136,190 |
| Annual | $36,260 | $44,990 | $71,060 | $121,680 | $174,600 | $91,930 | ||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $19.06 | $26.66 | $44.01 | $69.56 | $93.84 | $53.37 | 701,920 |
| Annual | $39,650 | $55,460 | $91,540 | $144,680 | $195,190 | $111,010 | ||
| Virginia | Hourly | $14.68 | $18.14 | $26.78 | $42.99 | $66.83 | $35.60 | 4,109,320 |
| Annual | $30,530 | $37,720 | $55,690 | $89,420 | $139,010 | $74,040 | ||
| Maryland | Hourly | $16.60 | $18.96 | $28.61 | $47.12 | $69.91 | $37.30 | 2,763,030 |
| Annual | $34,520 | $39,440 | $59,510 | $98,010 | $145,410 | $77,580 | ||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $12.53 | $15.16 | $21.78 | $31.22 | $47.22 | $27.15 | 701,610 |
| Annual | $26,070 | $31,530 | $45,300 | $64,940 | $98,220 | $56,470 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
707 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profiles: District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radiologists | $443,020 | $212.99 | ** |
| 2 | Anesthesiologists | $397,210 | $190.97 | 200 |
| 3 | Dermatologists | $329,990 | $158.65 | ** |
| 4 | Cardiologists | $253,610 | $121.93 | ** |
| 5 | Orthodontists | $248,110 | $119.29 | ** |
| 6 | Psychiatrists | $246,990 | $118.75 | 550 |
| 7 | Physicians, Pathologists | $237,190 | $114.04 | 90 |
| 8 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $226,640 | $108.96 | ** |
| 9 | Family Medicine Physicians | $225,140 | $108.24 | 1,470 |
| 10 | Surgeons, All Other | $224,860 | $108.11 | 340 |
| 11 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,250 | $107.33 | 1,370 |
| 12 | Nurse Anesthetists | $223,150 | $107.29 | 440 |
| 13 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $209,750 | * | 5,100 |
| 14 | Physicians, All Other | $208,710 | $100.34 | 10,650 |
| 15 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $207,450 | $99.74 | ** |
| 16 | Public Relations Managers | $195,190 | $93.84 | 9,470 |
| 16 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $195,190 | $93.84 | 20,800 |
| 16 | Lawyers | $195,190 | $93.84 | 46,840 |
| 19 | Financial Managers | $185,270 | $89.07 | 26,430 |
| 20 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $185,220 | $89.05 | 5,500 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Most concentrated occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Scientists | 33.11 | 3,700 | 1.18 | $156,730 |
| 2 | Economists | 12.74 | 4,570 | 1.46 | $156,750 |
| 3 | Astronomers | 12.12 | 520 | 0.17 | $156,750 |
| 4 | Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | 10.35 | 5,970 | 1.91 | $166,230 |
| 5 | Artists and Related Workers, All Other | 10.06 | 1,410 | 0.45 | $125,050 |
| 6 | Geographers | 9.85 | 280 | 0.09 | $118,290 |
| 7 | Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | 8.31 | 6,220 | 1.98 | $138,250 |
| 8 | Legal Support Workers, All Other | 6.82 | 6,430 | 2.05 | $169,690 |
| 9 | Public Relations Managers | 6.27 | 9,470 | 3.02 | $195,190 |
| 10 | Physical Scientists, All Other | 6.08 | 2,740 | 0.87 | $170,980 |
Occupation groups in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | $175,070 | $189,490 | 68,280 | 21.77 | 2.59 |
| Management | $165,010 | $172,110 | 319,760 | 101.96 | 1.42 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $133,760 | $139,090 | 233,320 | 74.40 | 2.20 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $122,990 | $126,610 | 58,940 | 18.80 | 1.98 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $117,440 | $124,140 | 56,040 | 17.87 | 1.06 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $105,260 | $117,440 | 369,190 | 117.72 | 1.74 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $102,250 | $120,470 | 153,730 | 49.02 | 0.78 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $90,060 | $102,300 | 66,280 | 21.13 | 1.61 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $66,670 | $76,170 | 192,180 | 61.28 | 1.05 |
| Community and Social Service | $65,360 | $72,940 | 47,260 | 15.07 | 0.88 |
| Protective Service | $64,710 | $71,740 | 95,920 | 30.59 | 1.26 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $63,650 | $69,650 | 87,230 | 27.82 | 0.71 |
| Construction and Extraction | $61,250 | $68,140 | 113,410 | 36.16 | 0.88 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $53,250 | $58,260 | 290,050 | 92.49 | 0.81 |
| Production | $48,080 | $56,240 | 46,720 | 14.90 | 0.27 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $46,300 | $56,480 | 176,470 | 56.27 | 0.64 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $44,640 | $48,090 | 1,740 | 0.56 | 0.20 |
| Healthcare Support | $43,060 | $44,540 | 111,740 | 35.63 | 0.70 |
| Sales and Related | $41,270 | $58,720 | 215,040 | 68.57 | 0.79 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $38,620 | $42,220 | 102,880 | 32.80 | 1.12 |
| Personal Care and Service | $38,590 | $45,260 | 77,200 | 24.62 | 1.18 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $37,860 | $43,620 | 252,790 | 80.61 | 0.92 |
Every occupation in District of Columbia and Virginia and Maryland and West Virginia, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profiles. All 707 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV estimates (area 47900).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.
- The area spans District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia; its figures are the whole MSA, as BLS publishes them, under the primary state District of Columbia.