Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| District of Columbia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $133,300 | $107,639 | +24% |
| Median hourly wage | $64.09 | $51.75 | +24% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $121,292.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $129,363 | $91,000 | $169,000 | 152 |
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in District of Columbia is $133,300, or about $64.09 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. District of Columbia is +24% above the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in District of Columbia typically earn from $91,000 depending on the city and employer.
With 510 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $133,300, District of Columbia offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 67 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 86% 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, mechanical engineers rank 67 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 86% 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.