Registered Nurse.
Washington DC.
$122,000
median salary, 30% above the national average
$103,000 to $140,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Registered Nurse in Washington DC earns a median of $122,000 in 2026. That is 30% above the national average. The range runs from $103,000 to $140,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Specialty certification, geographic location, and facility type create the widest salary ranges. 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 Registered Nurse 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 $102,710 for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, based on 46,830 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$80,750
25th percentile
$84,610
Median
$102,710
75th percentile
$119,620
90th percentile
$132,900
Workers surveyed
46,830
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) rather than Registered Nurse 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 29-1141Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $110,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$79,000
to $98,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$104,000
to $128,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$134,000
to $159,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$153,000
to $189,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $36,000 to the total package.
Base
$122,000
Equity
$21,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $158,000
How Washington DC compares.
Washington DC, DC
$122,000
Cost of living: 25% above average
National Average
$94,000
Washington DC is $28,000 above
Registered Nurse salary by city.
Salary by role in Washington DC.
What you should know.
The Registered Nurse landscape in Washington DC is not what most salary sites will tell you. 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. Specialty certification, geographic location, and facility type create the widest salary ranges. ICU, OR, and emergency nurses earn premiums over med surg nurses. Travel nursing contracts can pay 50 to 100% more than permanent positions. Union representation and shift differentials for nights and weekends also impact total pay.
New graduate RNs start at $58,000 to $72,000, with experienced RNs reaching $80,000 to $100,000 after five years. Nurse practitioners earn $110,000 to $140,000, and CRNAs (nurse anesthetists) can earn $180,000 to $220,000. Nursing management roles offer $95,000 to $140,000 with administrative responsibilities. 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. Benefits are a major component, typically including health insurance, pension or 403(b) matching, tuition reimbursement, and continuing education credits. Shift differentials add $3 to $8 per hour for nights and weekends. Signing bonuses of $5,000 to $20,000 are common in high demand specialties. 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 $122,000, 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 Registered Nurses in Washington DC runs from $103,000 to $140,000. 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 Financial Analyst in Washington DC earns $121,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
Registered Nurse salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Washington DC.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Registered Nurse Salary in Washington DC, DC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/registered-nurse/washington-dc
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