District of Columbia
Across all occupations in District of Columbia, the median wage is $91,540 a year ($44.01 an hour) and the mean $111,010, May 2025. That median is +80% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 701,920 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is neurologists; the largest is business operations specialists, all other.
All occupations: District of Columbia vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
Minimum wage in District of Columbia
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the District of Columbia minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in District of Columbia
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neurologists | $332,000 | $159.62 | 50 |
| 2 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $318,200 | $152.98 | 120 |
| 3 | Podiatrists | $265,740 | $127.76 | ** |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $233,390 | $112.21 | 150 |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,250 | $107.33 | 490 |
| 6 | Anesthesiologists | $202,570 | $97.39 | 100 |
| 7 | Financial Examiners | $198,720 | $95.54 | 470 |
| 8 | Public Relations Managers | $197,600 | $95.00 | 7,410 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $195,190 | $93.84 | 5,690 |
| 9 | Nuclear Engineers | $195,190 | $93.84 | 230 |
| 9 | Lawyers | $195,190 | $93.84 | 33,070 |
| 12 | Financial Managers | $188,880 | $90.81 | 8,930 |
| 13 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $185,220 | $89.05 | 1,290 |
| 14 | Human Resources Managers | $184,350 | $88.63 | 2,250 |
| 14 | Emergency Management Directors | $184,350 | $88.63 | 150 |
| 16 | Psychiatrists | $183,080 | $88.02 | 310 |
| 17 | Radiologists | $182,450 | $87.72 | 80 |
| 18 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $181,060 | $87.05 | 300 |
| 19 | Marketing Managers | $177,170 | $85.18 | 3,470 |
| 20 | Purchasing Managers | $175,720 | $84.48 | 1,110 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in District of Columbia
Occupation groups in District of Columbia
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | $195,190 | $213,270 | 41,700 | 59.41 |
| Management | $169,990 | $180,640 | 105,590 | 150.44 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $133,010 | $137,440 | 43,050 | 61.34 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $128,610 | $134,080 | 17,790 | 25.35 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $125,650 | $130,620 | 11,790 | 16.80 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $109,990 | $118,330 | 110,570 | 157.53 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $101,750 | $116,520 | 33,970 | 48.39 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $100,400 | $114,690 | 29,790 | 42.44 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $79,890 | $90,400 | 32,790 | 46.71 |
| Protective Service | $73,950 | $80,700 | 29,670 | 42.27 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $72,000 | $72,750 | 10,740 | 15.30 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $70,990 | $65,360 | 120 | 0.17 |
| Construction and Extraction | $70,110 | $74,160 | 12,770 | 18.19 |
| Community and Social Service | $69,130 | $77,050 | 11,360 | 16.18 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $60,660 | $65,510 | 53,960 | 76.87 |
| Production | $59,750 | $69,900 | 4,990 | 7.10 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $49,460 | $58,720 | 18,490 | 26.35 |
| Sales and Related | $46,870 | $65,100 | 20,510 | 29.22 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $44,390 | $49,980 | 56,970 | 81.17 |
| Healthcare Support | $43,060 | $46,830 | 20,950 | 29.84 |
| Personal Care and Service | $40,350 | $49,440 | 11,720 | 16.69 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $39,430 | $42,980 | 22,640 | 32.25 |
Metropolitan areas in District of Columbia
1 metropolitan area touches District of Columbia, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Metropolitan | $71,060 | $34.16 | 3,136,190 |
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for the District of Columbia
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for the District of Columbia. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS District of Columbia estimates.
**- 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 District of Columbia.