Jobs, pay and daily life in Washington, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Washington is a city in District of Columbia with 681,294 residents. The median household earns $109,870 a year and the median rent is $1,954 a month, which is 21.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, where BLS counts 3,136,190 jobs.
How Washington compares. Among the 1 largest places in District of Columbia, Washington is #1 by population, #1 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #1 for household income (#1 = highest), #1 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, District of Columbia, is #1 of 1 counties for average pay ($122,982).
Washington has 681,294 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 100.0% of the population of District of Columbia. It covers 61 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 11,146 people per square mile. The median age is 34.9, about the same as the state median (34.9 against 34.9).
The median gross rent is $1,954 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,954 against $1,954). Over a year that is 21.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $737,100, which is 6.7 times the median household income ($109,870); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 41.5% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (41.5% against 41.5%).
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area has 3,136,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $71,060 a year, 39% above the national median ($71,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are business and financial operations (369,190 jobs, median $105,260); management (319,760 jobs, median $165,010); office and administrative support (290,050 jobs, median $53,250). The area is most specialised in legal (2.6 times) and computer and mathematical (2.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are legal ($175,070) and management ($165,010). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of District of Columbia was 5.3%. 70.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in District of Columbia; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 27.4% drive alone, 20.3% use public transit, 9.5% walk, 33.0% work from home. 19.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (19.0% against 19.0%).
64.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (64.2% against 64.2%). 14.3% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (14.3% against 14.3%). The poverty rate is 15.4%, about the same as the state rate (15.4% against 15.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 32°F (0.1°C). About 1,152 mm (45 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (118 mm) and Jan the driest (67 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Chillum (5 miles, rent 11% lower); Arlington (5 miles, rent 19% higher); Hyattsville (5 miles, rent 6% lower); Takoma Park (5 miles, rent 27% lower). Rent differences are against Washington; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in District of Columbia (1,452) →State guide: District of ColumbiaCountry guideDistrict of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,452 federal postings open in District of Columbia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in District of Columbia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 112,530 | 1.59 | $156,460 | $67,600 | $291,420 | +48% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 76,600 | 3.49 | $104,770 | $59,010 | $184,020 | +26% |
| Software Developers | 69,060 | 2.03 | $154,930 | $96,450 | $213,660 | +14% |
| Retail Salespersons | 66,920 | 0.85 | $36,610 | $30,640 | $47,800 | +3% |
| Management Analysts | 62,360 | 3.44 | $126,830 | $78,970 | $181,280 | +25% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 60,560 | 0.78 | $34,600 | $30,460 | $42,490 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 59,090 | 1.33 | $37,840 | $31,720 | $48,780 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 50,600 | 0.81 | $35,470 | $30,330 | $44,710 | +8% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 50,450 | 0.58 | $38,530 | $30,670 | $46,080 | +8% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Registered Nurses | 46,830 | 0.69 | $102,710 | $80,750 | $132,900 | +5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 46,160 | 1.01 | $46,040 | $31,880 | $81,060 | +31% |
| Managers, All Other | 42,010 | 3.35 | $170,980 | $128,610 | $221,230 | +20% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 41,470 | 1.42 | $102,140 | $67,530 | $170,980 | +22% |
| Security Guards | 40,950 | 1.58 | $46,830 | $36,530 | $78,790 | +23% |
| Office Clerks, General | 39,410 | 0.79 | $51,880 | $36,230 | $76,240 | +15% |
| Project Management Specialists | 38,230 | 1.78 | $127,030 | $74,110 | $192,450 | +24% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 37,010 | 1.08 | $53,660 | $37,890 | $79,660 | +13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 36,750 | 0.70 | $46,220 | $35,640 | $73,150 | +3% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 35,340 | 0.62 | $37,870 | $31,280 | $50,050 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | 550 | 0.97 | $246,990 | $45,150 | $377,060 | -12% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 770 | 1.17 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,470 | 0.68 | $225,140 | $125,150 | $329,200 | -8% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,370 | 1.01 | $223,250 | $60,580 | $423,610 | -13% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 5,100 | 2.44 | $209,750 | $94,790 | $358,480 | -10% |
| Physicians, All Other | 10,650 | 1.54 | $208,710 | $77,430 | $402,900 | -22% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 20,800 | 1.54 | $195,190 | $133,100 | $295,960 | +11% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Public Relations Managers | 9,470 | 6.27 | $195,190 | $117,350 | $340,440 | +33% |
| Financial Managers | 26,430 | 1.56 | $185,270 | $122,670 | $327,470 | +11% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,500 | 1.24 | $185,220 | $138,180 | $259,680 | +8% |
| Dentists, General | 3,040 | 1.21 | $184,540 | $105,610 | $324,370 | +8% |
| Marketing Managers | 8,900 | 1.12 | $181,260 | $106,860 | $296,500 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,280 | 1.41 | $177,960 | $111,720 | $282,330 | +19% |
| Sales Managers | 8,780 | 0.68 | $175,820 | $83,560 | $306,700 | +19% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 1,800 | 3.96 | $174,870 | $47,760 | $225,680 | +18% |
| Pediatricians, General | 550 | 0.69 | $172,520 | $79,240 | $354,030 | -18% |
| Purchasing Managers | 4,180 | 2.46 | $172,150 | $132,890 | $217,790 | +16% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 590 | 1.27 | $171,950 | $116,580 | $281,000 | +15% |
| Physicists | 1,520 | 3.69 | $171,580 | $98,950 | $225,680 | -0% |
These figures are for the whole Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $71,060 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 26.0% |
| Public administration | 18.2% |
| Education and health care | 17.5% |
| Other services | 10.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.0% |
| Retail trade | 4.5% |
| Information | 3.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.7% |
| Construction | 2.3% |
| Manufacturing | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Washington lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 681,294 | $184,298 million | $270,511 | 759,572 | 52,228 | $122,982 | +0.2% | 5.3% | 401,751 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 121,785 | 23.3% | $184,371 | 2.30 |
| Health care and social assistance | 71,700 | 13.7% | $85,571 | 0.66 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 69,072 | 13.2% | $118,785 | 3.02 |
| Accommodation and food services | 67,068 | 12.8% | $47,026 | 0.97 |
| Administrative and waste services | 47,326 | 9.1% | $71,579 | 1.06 |
| Educational services | 44,874 | 8.6% | $83,671 | 2.86 |
| Retail trade | 19,989 | 3.8% | $51,033 | 0.26 |
| Information | 18,575 | 3.6% | $221,644 | 1.30 |
| Construction | 14,406 | 2.8% | $93,796 | 0.36 |
| Real estate and rental | 12,640 | 2.4% | $122,646 | 1.07 |
| Finance and insurance | 12,448 | 2.4% | $254,562 | 0.40 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 10,026 | 1.9% | $89,640 | 0.79 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,585 | 1.1% | $197,187 | 0.19 |
| Management of companies | 3,228 | 0.6% | $283,558 | 0.25 |
| Utilities | 2,110 | 0.4% | $147,033 | 0.73 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,995 | 0.4% | $81,912 | 0.06 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 27.4% |
| Public transit | 20.3% |
| Walk | 9.5% |
| Work from home | 33.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 19.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,870 |
| Income per person | $77,348 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,954 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 21.3% |
| Median home value | $737,100 |
| Homeowners | 41.5% |
| Poverty rate | 15.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 108.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $71,060 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 10.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 64.2% |
| Born abroad | 14.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 70.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.1 | 32 | 67 |
| Feb | 1.3 | 34 | 70 |
| Mar | 5.8 | 42 | 84 |
| Apr | 12.2 | 54 | 92 |
| May | 17.6 | 64 | 109 |
| Jun | 22.8 | 73 | 118 |
| Jul | 25.8 | 78 | 116 |
| Aug | 25.1 | 77 | 109 |
| Sep | 21.3 | 70 | 107 |
| Oct | 14.4 | 58 | 105 |
| Nov | 7.8 | 46 | 80 |
| Dec | 2.8 | 37 | 95 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chillum | MD | 5 mi | 34,871 | $79,864 | $1,735 |
| Arlington | VA | 5 mi | 236,254 | $142,114 | $2,322 |
| Hyattsville | MD | 5 mi | 20,966 | $91,941 | $1,835 |
| Takoma Park | MD | 5 mi | 17,632 | $108,136 | $1,432 |
| Langley Park | MD | 6 mi | 21,508 | $85,321 | $1,707 |
| Suitland | MD | 6 mi | 23,793 | $71,585 | $1,707 |
| Silver Spring | MD | 7 mi | 81,462 | $99,860 | $1,913 |
| East Riverdale | MD | 7 mi | 18,336 | $81,831 | $1,716 |
| Alexandria | VA | 7 mi | 156,976 | $119,681 | $2,089 |
| Landover | MD | 7 mi | 24,514 | $72,100 | $1,735 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
681,294 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,954 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 21.3% of the median household income.
$109,870 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.3% (BLS county, District of Columbia (latest month 2026M09)).
District of Columbia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.