Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| District of Columbia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $102,540 | $98,331 | +4% |
| Median hourly wage | $49.30 | $47.27 | +4% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $93,303.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $111,891 | $84,500 | $136,500 | 152 |
The median annual salary for a Registered Nurse in District of Columbia is $102,540, or about $49.30 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Registered Nurses is $98,331. District of Columbia is +4% above the national median.
Entry-level registered nurses in District of Columbia typically earn from $84,500 depending on the city and employer.
With 11,440 registered nurse jobs on record and a median salary of $102,540, District of Columbia offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, registered nurses rank 145 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 69% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Neurologists at $332,000, Emergency Medicine Physicians at $318,200, Podiatrists at $265,740 — 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, registered nurses rank 145 of the 465 occupations reported in District of Columbia — higher than 69% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in District of Columbia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Neurologists | $332,000 | $50 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $318,200 | $120 |
| Podiatrists | $265,740 | — |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $239,200 | $70 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $233,390 | $150 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,250 | $490 |
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.