Average Salaries in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Explore salaries across 721 occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $78.4K, +27.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates. Coverage: 721 occupations and 3,103,200 total jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
How the metro compares
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is one of the largest metro labor markets in the country.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Nurse Anesthetists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $225.3K | 390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224.3K | 1,900 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223.0K | 1,740 |
| Psychiatrists | $220.0K | 570 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $218.5K | 230 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $200.0K | 150 |
| Lawyers | $191.9K | 48,170 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $191.9K | 20,770 |
| Physicians, All Other | $191.9K | 11,170 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $189.8K | 300 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| General And Operations Managers | 108,510 | $151.4K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 77,770 | $104.0K |
| Management Analysts | 68,900 | $125.8K |
| Software Developers | 68,210 | $150.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 65,060 | $35.7K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 63,090 | $34.3K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 57,480 | $37.1K |
| Cashiers | 54,070 | $34.8K |
| Lawyers | 48,170 | $191.9K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 45,170 | $38.4K |
What Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Political Scientists | 32.53 | $153.3K |
| Astronomers | 13.91 | $158.0K |
| Economists | 13.38 | $158.0K |
| Artists And Related Workers, All Other | 10.36 | $122.3K |
| Healthcare Diagnosing Or Treating Practitioners, All Other | 10.14 | $162.6K |
| Geographers | 9.63 | $118.0K |
| Social Scientists And Related Workers, All Other | 9.42 | $137.6K |
| Public Relations Managers | 7.24 | $185.8K |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | 6.94 | $161.8K |
| Historians | 6.64 | $115.7K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $76.5K | Natural Sciences Managers |
Common salary questions for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.