Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| District of Columbia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $184,350 | $149,469 | +23% |
| Median hourly wage | $88.63 | $71.86 | +23% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $167,743.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $169,000 | $97,500 | $214,500 | 152 |
The median annual salary for a HR Manager in District of Columbia is $184,350, or about $88.63 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for HR Managers is $149,469. District of Columbia is +23% above the national median.
Entry-level hr managers in District of Columbia typically earn from $97,500 depending on the city and employer.
With 2,250 hr manager jobs on record and a median salary of $184,350, District of Columbia offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 15 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 97% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Public Relations Managers at $197,600, Computer and Information Systems Managers at $195,190, Financial Managers at $188,880 — 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, hr managers rank 15 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 97% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in District of Columbia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Managers | $197,600 | $7,410 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $195,190 | $5,690 |
| Financial Managers | $188,880 | $8,930 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $185,220 | $1,290 |
| Emergency Management Directors | $184,350 | $150 |
| Marketing Managers | $177,170 | $3,470 |
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.