Ranking · original analysis of BLS and O*NET data
Highest-paying jobs in District of Columbia
The 40 best-paid occupations in District of Columbia with at least 100 people employed, by state median wage.
Quick answer
The highest-paying occupation in District of Columbia with at least 100 people employed was Emergency Medicine Physician, with a state median of $318,200 (BLS May 2025).
The ranking
40 occupations
Data Every figure is from BLS OEWS May 2025 or O*NET 31.0; the selection rule is below.
| # | Occupation | Median pay in District of Columbia | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emergency Medicine Physician | $318,200 | 120 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physician | $233,390 | 150 |
| 3 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,250 | 490 |
| 4 | Anesthesiologist | $202,570 | 100 |
| 5 | Financial Examiners | $198,720 | 470 |
| 6 | Public Relations Manager | $197,600 | 7,410 |
| 7 | IT Manager | $195,190 | 5,690 |
| 8 | Nuclear Engineer | $195,190 | 230 |
| 9 | Lawyer | $195,190 | 33,070 |
| 10 | Financial Manager | $188,880 | 8,930 |
| 11 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $185,220 | 1,290 |
| 12 | HR Manager | $184,350 | 2,250 |
| 13 | Emergency Management Directors | $184,350 | 150 |
| 14 | Psychiatrist | $183,080 | 310 |
| 15 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $181,060 | 300 |
| 16 | Marketing Manager | $177,170 | 3,470 |
| 17 | Purchasing Manager | $175,720 | 1,110 |
| 18 | Managers, All Other | $175,720 | 18,570 |
| 19 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $172,330 | 490 |
| 20 | Operations Manager | $168,000 | 36,150 |
| 21 | Economist | $167,590 | 3,000 |
| 22 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $167,520 | 1,460 |
| 23 | Actuary | $166,230 | 160 |
| 24 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $163,360 | 210 |
| 25 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $161,860 | 220 |
| 26 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $160,990 | 130 |
| 27 | Detective | $160,760 | 2,980 |
| 28 | Aerospace Engineer | $157,600 | 290 |
| 29 | Electronics Engineer | $157,040 | 400 |
| 30 | Physicist | $157,040 | 480 |
| 31 | Natural Sciences Managers | $156,730 | 1,540 |
| 32 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $156,730 | 790 |
| 33 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $156,590 | 17,200 |
| 34 | Hospital Administrator | $155,140 | 2,010 |
| 35 | Pharmacist | $153,400 | 850 |
| 36 | Political Scientist | $152,530 | 3,070 |
| 37 | Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $151,990 | 490 |
| 38 | Engineers, All Other | $151,920 | 3,560 |
| 39 | Database Architect | $150,010 | 790 |
| 40 | Chemist | $149,860 | 280 |
Method
How this page is built
BLS OEWS state estimates for District of Columbia, May 2025: occupations with at least 100 people employed and a published median, ranked by median annual wage.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- Openings in your area: these are national figures.
- Whether a job suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.