Registered Nurse Salary in Washington, DC (BLS May 2025)
Registered nurses in Washington, DC earned a median of $102,540 a year ($49.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is 5% above the national RN median of $97,550, and it ranks 11th of the 50 states and D.C.
Median salary
$102,540
Median hourly
$49.30
Average (mean)
$106,980
RNs employed
11,440
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), retrieved 2026-10-22. Staff (wage-and-salary) jobs in all settings; excludes travel-contract stipends.
RN pay range in Washington, DC
Half of Washington, DC's registered nurses earned between $85,850 and $127,800. The spread from the 10th to the 90th percentile is $71,780, which reflects experience, setting (hospital, clinic, home health) and region within the state.
| Percentile | Washington, DC annual | Hourly equivalent | U.S. annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $79,390 | $38.17 | $68,940 |
| 25th percentile | $85,850 | $41.27 | $80,330 |
| Median (50th) | $102,540 | $49.30 | $97,550 |
| 75th percentile | $127,800 | $61.44 | $112,350 |
| 90th percentile | $151,170 | $72.68 | $137,470 |
Hourly equivalent = annual ÷ 2,080 hours, the convention BLS uses to annualize hourly wages. BLS publishes the median hourly wage directly ($49.30); small differences are rounding.
What a median RN paycheck looks like in Washington, DC
Gross pay at the Washington, DC median, and the federal taxes on it for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction. Retirement, insurance and other payroll deductions vary by employer and are not included.
| Yearly | Monthly | Every 2 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay (median) | $102,540 | $8,545 | $3,944 |
| Federal income tax | $13,729 | $1,144 | $528 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,844 | $654 | $302 |
| Washington, DC income tax | Not included (we only publish sourced state tax figures) | ||
Taxes: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets and standard deduction, SSA 2026 wage base. See methodology. Run your own numbers in the tax calculator.
Washington, DC vs neighboring states
Nurses near a state line often compare commuting or moving across it. Median RN pay in the states that border Washington, DC:
| State | Median salary | Median hourly | vs Washington, DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $102,540 | $49.30 | — |
| Maryland | $99,790 | $47.98 | −$2,750 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $45.00 | −$8,940 |
A nurse licensed in a Nurse Licensure Compact state can work in other compact states without a new license — check the compact license lookup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in Washington, DC?
Registered nurses in Washington, DC earned a median of $102,540 a year ($49.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average (mean) was $106,980 ($51.43 an hour). That median is 5% above the national RN median of $97,550 and ranks 11th of the 50 states and D.C.
What do the highest-paid nurses in Washington, DC make?
The top 10% of registered nurses in Washington, DC earned at least $151,170 a year, and the top quarter at least $127,800. The bottom 10% earned less than $79,390. These are BLS percentile estimates for staff RNs across all settings, not offers for a specific job.
What is a registered nurse's paycheck in Washington, DC?
At the Washington, DC median of $102,540, gross pay is about $8,545 a month or $3,944 every two weeks. For a single filer with the standard deduction, 2026 federal income tax plus Social Security and Medicare come to about $21,573 a year. Washington, DC state income tax is not included in that figure, so actual take-home is lower.
How many registered nurses work in Washington, DC?
BLS estimated 11,440 registered nurses employed in Washington, DC in May 2025, the 45th largest RN workforce of the 50 states and D.C.
About this data
These figures are the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, the latest published. OEWS surveys employers, so it measures staff (wage-and-salary) registered nurses in all settings — hospitals, clinics, home health, schools — and excludes self-employed nurses and travel-contract stipends. Means are pulled up by high earners, which is why we lead with the median.
See registered nurse salary in every state for the full ranking.