Recommendation Systems Engineer.
Washington DC.
$173,000
median salary, 30% above the national average
$134,000 to $220,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Recommendation Systems Engineer salary in Washington DC is $173,000, 30% above the national average. Entry level starts near $134,000. Experienced professionals push past $220,000. Washington DC's job market is shaped by the federal government, defense contractors, and a growing commercial tech sector. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Recommendation Systems Engineer in Washington DC, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $154,930 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, based on 69,060 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$96,450
25th percentile
$123,720
Median
$154,930
75th percentile
$176,230
90th percentile
$213,660
Workers surveyed
69,060
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) rather than Recommendation Systems Engineer specifically. The Washington DC range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1252Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $156,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$112,000
to $138,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$147,000
to $182,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$190,000
to $225,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$216,000
to $268,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $35,000 to the total package.
Base
$173,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $208,000
How Washington DC compares.
Washington DC, DC
$173,000
Cost of living: 25% above average
National Average
$133,000
Washington DC is $40,000 above
Recommendation Systems Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Washington DC.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Recommendation Systems Engineer roles in Washington DC, here is what you are walking into. Washington DC's job market is shaped by the federal government, defense contractors, and a growing commercial tech sector. Cybersecurity, cloud computing, and consulting firms drive demand for cleared professionals. The region's stability, combined with high government pay scales, creates a salary floor that pulls private sector compensation upward. Compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Recommendation Systems Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
Recommendation Systems Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. In Washington DC, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 25% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers runs roughly $176K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: dC income tax rates reach 10.75% for high earners. Maryland and Virginia residents working in DC face their own state taxes. Choose your residence jurisdiction carefully to optimize net pay. When someone quotes you $173,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: A security clearance is your strongest negotiation asset. Cleared professionals in DC command 20 to 30% premiums, and transferring your clearance to a new employer saves them significant time and cost. The range for Recommendation Systems Engineers in Washington DC runs from $134,000 to $220,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Machine Learning Engineer in Washington DC earns $171,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Washington DC is CTO at $379,000
Common questions.
Recommendation Systems Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Washington DC.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Recommendation Systems Engineer Salary in Washington DC, DC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/recommendation-systems-engineer/washington-dc
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