Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · CBSA 47900
Software Engineer Salary in Washington, D.C.
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for software engineers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against District of Columbia and the national benchmark.
Software Engineers in Washington, D.C. earn a median of $150,880 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $120,490–$173,540; the top 10% earn $211,230. That is 13% above the national median and 11% above the District of Columbia median. BLS reports 68,210 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$150,880
+13% vs national
Top 10% earn
$211,230
90th percentile
Employed in metro
68,210
Reliability High (3.4% RSE)
Software Engineer pay — Washington, D.C. vs District of Columbia vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $94,370 | +18% |
| 25th percentile | $120,490 | +17% |
| Median50th percentile | $150,880 | +13% |
| 75th percentile | $173,540 | +3% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $211,230 | — |
| Meanaverage | $151,000 | +4% |
How concentrated software engineers are in Washington, D.C.
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
2.04
Jobs per 1,000
21.87
Metro rank (pay)
#11 of 381
All engineering roles
$144,482
At a location quotient of 2.04, Washington, D.C. is a genuine hub for this discipline — the occupation is roughly 2.0× as concentrated here as nationally, which usually means deeper employer competition and more lateral options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a software engineer make in Washington, D.C.?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →