State salary profile · District of Columbia
District of Columbia Salaries
District of Columbia ranks #1 by BLS All Occupations mean; occupation detail from OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
- $177,867
- Mean of top 50 medians
- 464
- Occupations
- 1
- Local wage areas
- 164,520
- Estimated jobs (top tier)
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in District of Columbia is $177,867.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 464 occupations in District of Columbia; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Neurologists, earns $332,000, versus $36,620 for Manicurists and Pedicurists at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 1 metro area. Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
District of Columbia · employment ≠ wage
In District of Columbia, Business Operations Specialists, All Other lead by published employment (37,790 jobs, #1 of 437) but rank #112 of 437 on median wage ($108,160), while Neurologists top the wage list at $332,000 (#1 of 437) with 50 jobs (#421 of 437). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.
- 37,790
- Business Operations Specia... employment #1
- $332,000
- Neurologists wage #1
- #421
- Employment rank of wage leader
- #112
- Wage rank of employment leader
Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.
Employment of District of Columbia's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage
Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Business Operations Specia...
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
37,790 jobs
- Neurologists 50
Neurologists
50 jobs
What this shows Business Operations Specialists, All Other lead District of Columbia by employment; Neurologists lead on median wage at $332,000.
District of Columbia, the picture in one line
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Neurologists at $332,000. Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
- #1
- of 54 states by published mean wage
- $332,000
- top-paying: Neurologists
- 98th
- percentile among all states
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- local OEWS: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Employment scale inside District of Columbia's top-pay list
General and Operations Managers and Lawyers lead District of Columbia's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.
- 1. General and Operations Managers 36,150 jobs · $168,000
- 2. Lawyers 33,070 jobs · $195,190
- 3. Managers, All Other 18,570 jobs · $175,720
- 4. Computer Occupations, All Other 17,200 jobs · $156,590
- 5. Financial Managers 8,930 jobs · $188,880
- 6. Public Relations Managers 7,410 jobs · $197,600
- 7. Computer and Information Systems Managers 5,690 jobs · $195,190
- 8. Engineers, All Other 3,560 jobs · $151,920
- 9. Marketing Managers 3,470 jobs · $177,170
- 10. Political Scientists 3,070 jobs · $152,530
- 11. Economists 3,000 jobs · $167,590
- 12. Detectives and Criminal Investigators 2,980 jobs · $160,760
- 13. Human Resources Managers 2,250 jobs · $184,350
- 14. Medical and Health Services Managers 2,010 jobs · $155,140
- 15. Sales Managers 1,930 jobs · $141,800
- 16. Natural Sciences Managers 1,540 jobs · $156,730
- 17. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 1,460 jobs · $167,520
- 18. Architectural and Engineering Managers 1,290 jobs · $185,220
- 19. Purchasing Managers 1,110 jobs · $175,720
- 20. Pharmacists 850 jobs · $153,400
Local BLS wage areas inside District of Columbia
Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Observed statewide pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025
- BLS's published All Occupations median in District of Columbia moved from $88,000 in May 2024 to $91,540 in May 2025 (+4.0%).
- Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
- District of Columbia sits +1.3 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Security Guards shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in District of Columbia
Security Guards publishes $64,210 here versus $38,020 nationally (+68.9%; 15,880statewide jobs). Next is General and Operations Managers at $168,000 locally versus $105,770 nationally (+58.8%).
- Security Guards$64,210 in District of Columbia sits 68.9% above the national Security Guards median of $38,020 (15,880 published local jobs).
- General and Operations Managers$168,000 in District of Columbia sits 58.8% above the national General and Operations Managers median of $105,770 (36,150 published local jobs).
- Bartenders$53,920 in District of Columbia sits 57.0% above the national Bartenders median of $34,340 (5,760 published local jobs).
- Human Resources Specialists$110,970 in District of Columbia sits 46.1% above the national Human Resources Specialists median of $75,940 (6,910 published local jobs).
Security Guards and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for District of Columbia; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.
· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025
The District of Columbia OEWS table has a published median for 464 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 164,520; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $177,867 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
At the top of the ranking, Neurologists pays a District of Columbia median of $332,000, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Emergency Medicine Physicians at $318,200, followed by Podiatrists at $265,740. At the bottom of the published range, Manicurists and Pedicurists has a median of $36,620, making the displayed endpoint ratio 9.1×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 1 metro area assigned to District of Columbia, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.
District of Columbia's #1 All Occupations rank is a different statistic from Neurologists's occupation median. Use the state rank for cross-state context, then open Neurologists's national profile for percentile boundaries where BLS publishes them, see methodology. Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.
Top-Tier Sample
75
occupations shown below
Avg. Median Salary
$177,867
top 50 occupations
Top Salary
$332,000
Neurologists
Where District of Columbia ranks by published mean wage
BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$111,010 Top 2% higher than 98% of 54 states & territories
Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$5,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $5,000–$10,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $10,000–$15,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $15,000–$20,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $20,000–$25,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $25,000–$30,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $30,000–$35,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $35,000–$40,000 | 1 states & territories | 2% |
| $40,000–$45,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $45,000–$50,000 | 1 states & territories | 2% |
| $50,000–$55,000 | 3 states & territories | 6% |
| $55,000–$60,000 | 8 states & territories | 15% |
| $60,000–$65,000 | 16 states & territories | 30% |
| $65,000–$70,000 | 8 states & territories | 15% |
| $70,000–$75,000 | 8 states & territories | 15% |
| $75,000–$80,000 | 4 states & territories | 7% |
| $80,000–$85,000 | 3 states & territories | 6% |
| $85,000–$90,000 | 1 states & territories | 2% |
| $90,000–$95,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $95,000–$100,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $100,000–$105,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $105,000–$110,000 | 0 states & territories | 0% |
| $110,000–$115,000 (this entry) | 1 states & territories | 2% |
$111,010 · 98th percentile of 54 states & territories
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($111,010). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.
National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $111,010 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $101,010. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for District of Columbia (RPP 109.9, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.
Highest-paying occupations in District of Columbia
Median annual wage by occupation, top 15 reported roles
- Neurologists
Neurologists
$332,000 median / yr
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
Emergency Medicine Physicians
$318,200 median / yr
- Podiatrists
Podiatrists
$265,740 median / yr
- Family Medicine Physicians
Family Medicine Physicians
$233,390 median / yr
- General Internal Medicine Ph…
General Internal Medicine Physicians
$223,250 median / yr
- Anesthesiologists
Anesthesiologists
$202,570 median / yr
- Financial Examiners
Financial Examiners
$198,720 median / yr
- Public Relations Managers
Public Relations Managers
$197,600 median / yr
- Computer and Information Sys…
Computer and Information Systems Managers
$195,190 median / yr
- Nuclear Engineers
Nuclear Engineers
$195,190 median / yr
- Lawyers
Lawyers
$195,190 median / yr
- Financial Managers
Financial Managers
$188,880 median / yr
- Architectural and Engineerin…
Architectural and Engineering Managers
$185,220 median / yr
- Human Resources Managers
Human Resources Managers
$184,350 median / yr
- Emergency Management Directors
Emergency Management Directors
$184,350 median / yr
BLS publishes wage data for 464 distinct occupations in District of Columbia. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.
Highest Paying Jobs in District of Columbia
View all 100 →Lowest Paying Jobs in District of Columbia
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | $36,620 |
| Parking Attendants | $37,220 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $37,430 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $37,570 |
| Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | $37,790 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $37,920 |
| Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers | $37,930 |
| Amusement and Recreation Attendants | $37,960 |
| Baggage Porters and Bellhops | $38,170 |
| Animal Trainers | $38,200 |
| Concierges | $38,230 |
| Residential Advisors | $38,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,500 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,520 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | $38,580 |
| Dishwashers | $38,670 |
| Shampooers | $38,870 |
| Cashiers | $38,880 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | $38,950 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $39,080 |
| Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | $39,210 |
| Orderlies | $39,250 |
| Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers | $39,460 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $39,600 |
| Occupational Therapy Aides | $39,620 |
Fastest Growing Jobs
View all 50 →See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in District of Columbia. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.
Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in District of Columbia
Salary Guides
Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale
Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside District of Columbia. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($111,010 here) and reported employment (701,920 jobs here).
Similar mean wage
Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Related District of Columbia pages
Published local OEWS coverage includes Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in District of Columbia? ▼
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Federal sources behind District of Columbia wages
What to do with this data
How to use District of Columbia wage data in a real decision
- District of Columbia ranks #1 of 54 by All Occupations mean; that state rank is not interchangeable with Neurologists's occupation median of $332,000. Compare states
- Open Neurologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; District of Columbia's statewide median of $332,000 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Neurologists
- The published District of Columbia range runs from Manicurists and Pedicurists at $36,620 to Neurologists at $332,000; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator
BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.