Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| District of Columbia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $103,880 | $102,499 | +1% |
| Median hourly wage | $49.94 | $49.28 | +1% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $94,522.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $124,657 | $84,500 | $162,500 | 152 |
The median annual salary for a Civil Engineer in District of Columbia is $103,880, or about $49.94 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Civil Engineers is $102,499. District of Columbia is +1% above the national median.
Entry-level civil engineers in District of Columbia typically earn from $84,500 depending on the city and employer.
With 1,650 civil engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $103,880, District of Columbia offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 136 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 71% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Nuclear Engineers at $195,190, Marine Engineers and Naval Architects at $172,330, Computer Hardware Engineers at $163,360 — all figures are median annual wages for District of Columbia.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. District of Columbia levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 152.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 136 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 71% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in District of Columbia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineers | $195,190 | $230 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $172,330 | $490 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $163,360 | $210 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $157,600 | $290 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $157,040 | $400 |
| Engineers, All Other | $151,920 | $3,560 |
District of Columbia levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 152.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 465 occupations in District of Columbia.