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Washington, D.C. salaries
Washington, D.C. salary estimate
$46,917yearly
Washington, D.C. Salary Insights for 2025
In Washington, D.C., the average salary for 2025 is projected at $46,917. This figure reflects a diverse job market that includes high-paying positions across various sectors. The highest paying jobs often include roles in government and nonprofit organizations, where salaries can significantly exceed the average. For example, administrative roles tend to offer competitive compensation, especially at the executive level.
Additionally, salaries can vary based on factors such as department and experience level. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for job seekers aiming to maximize their earnings. Explore our detailed breakdown of salaries by department, highlighting the best-paying opportunities in Washington, D.C. This information will provide valuable context as you consider your career prospects in the nation’s capital.
Highest paying jobs at Washington, D.C.
The highest paying jobs at Washington, D.C. are general counsel, senior software engineer, team leader, and director. General counsel jobs at Washington, D.C. earn an average yearly salary of $99,588, Washington, D.C. senior software engineer jobs average $93,937, and Washington, D.C. team leader jobs average $85,787.
The lowest paying Washington, D.C. roles include camp counselor and cashier. Washington, D.C. camp counselor average salary is $25,185 per year. So while the average Washington, D.C. salary is $46,917 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
Highest paying jobs at Washington, D.C.
| Rank | Job title | Average Washington, D.C. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Counsel | $99,588 | $47.88 |
| 2 | Senior Software Engineer | $93,937 | $45.16 |
| 3 | Team Leader | $85,787 | $41.24 |
| 4 | Director | $76,876 | $36.96 |
| 5 | Information Technology Specialist | $75,981 | $36.53 |
| 6 | Faculty Advisor | $74,279 | $35.71 |
| 7 | Software Developer | $71,823 | $34.53 |
| 8 | Writer And Editor | $71,298 | $34.28 |
| 9 | Freelance Designer | $70,604 | $33.94 |
| 10 | Program Manager | $65,667 | $31.57 |
| 11 | Project Manager | $61,985 | $29.80 |
| 12 | Instructor | $61,928 | $29.77 |
| 13 | Development Specialist | $60,844 | $29.25 |
| 14 | Program Analyst | $60,588 | $29.13 |
| 15 | Attorney General | $59,150 | $28.44 |
| 16 | Legal Extern | $58,339 | $28.05 |
| 17 | Budget Analyst | $57,889 | $27.83 |
| 18 | Contract Attorney | $57,534 | $27.66 |
| 19 | Private Contractor | $52,274 | $25.13 |
| 20 | Police Officer | $50,432 | $24.25 |
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Washington, D.C. salaries by department
Salaries at Washington, D.C. vary depending on the department you work in. Washington, D.C. salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $103,565. Employees in the research & development department at Washington, D.C. receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $81,181 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Washington, D.C. include the hospitality/service and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $31,823 and $31,866, respectively.
Average Washington, D.C. salary by department
| Rank | Department | Average Washington, D.C. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corporate Management | $103,565 | $49.79 |
| 2 | Research & Development | $81,181 | $39.03 |
| 3 | IT | $67,714 | $32.55 |
| 4 | Engineering | $64,053 | $30.79 |
| 5 | Art/Design | $60,190 | $28.94 |
| 6 | Legal | $58,377 | $28.07 |
| 7 | Finance | $55,109 | $26.49 |
| 8 | Sales | $50,110 | $24.09 |
| 9 | Human Resources | $49,887 | $23.98 |
| 10 | Accounting | $48,221 | $23.18 |
| 11 | Marketing | $47,179 | $22.68 |
| 12 | Non Profit/Government | $47,075 | $22.63 |
| 13 | Healthcare | $46,065 | $22.15 |
| 14 | Retail | $45,694 | $21.97 |
| 15 | Education | $42,140 | $20.26 |
| 16 | Facilities | $37,305 | $17.94 |
| 17 | Administrative | $35,104 | $16.88 |
| 18 | Customer Service | $31,867 | $15.32 |
| 19 | Hospitality/Service | $31,824 | $15.30 |
How much does Washington, D.C. pay by department?
Best paying Washington, D.C. administrative salaries
| Rank | Position | Average Washington, D.C. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior Administrator | $47,387 | $22.78 |
| 2 | Administrative Specialist | $42,027 | $20.21 |
| 3 | Project Management Internship | $37,844 | $18.19 |
| 4 | Office Administrator | $37,565 | $18.06 |
| 5 | Recording Technician | $35,503 | $17.07 |
| 6 | Secretary | $34,659 | $16.66 |
| 7 | Administrative Assistant | $33,205 | $15.96 |
| 8 | Office Assistant | $29,818 | $14.34 |
| 9 | Receptionist | $27,776 | $13.35 |
| 10 | File Clerk | $27,242 | $13.10 |
| 11 | Student Internship | $26,933 | $12.95 |
| 12 | Data Entry Clerk | $26,801 | $12.89 |
Best paying Washington, D.C. non profit/government salaries
| Rank | Position | Average Washington, D.C. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Director Of Senior Programs | $92,443 | $44.44 |
| 2 | Program Manager | $65,667 | $31.57 |
| 3 | Programming Specialist | $58,018 | $27.89 |
| 4 | Police Officer | $50,432 | $24.25 |
| 5 | Social Worker | $50,250 | $24.16 |
| 6 | Motor Vehicle Operator | $45,096 | $21.68 |
| 7 | Program Assistant | $41,292 | $19.85 |
| 8 | Parking Enforcement Officer | $40,193 | $19.32 |
| 9 | Sergeant At Arms | $38,986 | $18.74 |
| 10 | Family Support Worker | $38,421 | $18.47 |
| 11 | Youth Counselor | $37,914 | $18.23 |
| 12 | Case Manager | $35,496 | $17.07 |
| 13 | Social Work Internship | $33,141 | $15.93 |
| 14 | Intelligence Analyst | $32,542 | $15.65 |
| 15 | Programming Internship | $30,522 | $14.67 |
| 16 | Residential Counselor | $29,839 | $14.35 |
Best paying Washington, D.C. finance salaries
| Rank | Position | Average Washington, D.C. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance Director | $74,489 | $35.81 |
| 2 | Contracts Specialist | $64,706 | $31.11 |
| 3 | Senior Contract Specialist | $64,371 | $30.95 |
| 4 | Program Analyst | $60,588 | $29.13 |
| 5 | Budget Analyst | $57,889 | $27.83 |
| 6 | Contracts Administrator | $49,300 | $23.70 |
| 7 | Consultant | $46,713 | $22.46 |
| 8 | Claim Processor | $38,259 | $18.39 |
| 9 | Finance Internship | $35,861 | $17.24 |
Washington, D.C. competitors’ average salaries
Average salaries at Washington, D.C. competitors, like California Public Utilities Commission, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and Texas Historical Commission, vary. California Public Utilities Commission employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $73,264. The average salary at Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade is $71,014 per year, and the average salary at Texas Historical Commission is $65,148 per year.
Highest paying Washington, D.C. competitors
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Public Utilities Commission | 4.4 | $73,264 |
| 2 | Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade | 3.9 | $71,014 |
| 3 | Texas Historical Commission | 3.8 | $65,148 |
| 4 | United Way of Broome County | 3.6 | $60,617 |
| 5 | U.S. Department of State | 4.5 | $60,373 |
| 6 | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | 4.7 | $60,138 |
| 7 | Congressional Black Caucus Foundation | 3.9 | $53,393 |
| 8 | Illinois Comptroller | 3.7 | $45,769 |
| 9 | The White House | 4.6 | $45,418 |
| 10 | Alaska State Library | 3.6 | $45,110 |
| 11 | Village of Northbrook | 4.0 | $44,522 |
| 12 | Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission | 4.2 | $44,174 |
| 13 | Cook County Treasurer | 4.3 | $44,125 |
| 14 | U.S. House of Representatives | 4.6 | $41,226 |
| 15 | Texas Department of Agriculture | 4.1 | $41,212 |
| 16 | California Foundation for Independent Living Centers | 4.0 | $41,077 |
| 17 | City of Cleveland TX | 4.2 | $40,326 |
| 18 | Virginia.gov | 4.5 | $38,223 |
| 19 | Maine | 4.5 | $37,796 |
| 20 | Folger Shakespeare Library | 4.1 | $32,994 |
Recently added Washington, D.C. salaries
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pathways To Public Service Program-Human Resources Specialist-Department of Parks and Recreation | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $54,183 |
| Supervisory Hearing Examiner | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $150,000 |
| Pathways To Public Service Program-IT Specialist-Office of The Chief Technology Officer | Washington, DC | 06/26/2025 | $54,183 |
| Pathways To Public Service Program-Program Analyst-Department of Parks and Recreation | Washington, DC | 06/26/2025 | $54,183 |
| Pathways To Public Service Program-Management Analyst-Department of Forensics | Washington, DC | 06/26/2025 | $65,285 |
What employees say about salary at Washington, D.C.
Flexible Shift Hours, No language barriers, over time was always available
No opportunity to get additional skills set field train on certain shifts under certain supervisors
16 hours shift any day of the week esp. weekends and P.P.E. OSHA compliance enforcements
I am partial to the work force including co workers and management staff. The organization is up and coming in tax collection industry and should be a model to pattern other business in the industry for maximum success.
I think the organization can improve performance with internal personnel promotions and increased benefits for current employee to realize personal growth and success.
The DC Government does offer many perks for time off with pay as well as performance based incentives.
Frequently asked questions about Washington, D.C. salaries
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Washington, D.C., including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Washington, D.C.. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Washington, D.C.. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Washington, D.C.. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Washington, D.C. and its employees or that of Zippia.
Washington, D.C. may also be known as or be related to DC Child and Family Servic, Dc Government and Washington, D.C.