How much does a Software Engineer make in District of Columbia?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $136,040 for Software Engineers in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $114,690 and the 75th-percentile is $166,970.

How many Software Engineers does District of Columbia employ?

BLS OES counts 8,250 Software Engineers employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for District of Columbia different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. District of Columbia's overall index of 110.7 reflects rents 168.1, services 109.0, and goods 106.5.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Does the BLS software engineer wage include FAANG total comp in District of Columbia?

No — BLS OES captures W-2 base wages only. RSU vesting, sign-on bonuses, performance bonuses, and equity refreshes are not included. For senior tech-cluster roles in District of Columbia, total comp can run 30-70% above the BLS-reported median once equity is added back. The Levels.fyi-style breakdowns on the parent occupation page show the gap.

How does remote work affect software engineer pay in District of Columbia?

Remote-first companies typically anchor pay to one of three reference markets (Bay Area, NYC, or a national average) regardless of where the engineer lives. District of Columbia-resident engineers working remotely for high-CoL companies can earn well above the in-state BLS median; the BEA RPP-adjusted real wage advantage is meaningful. Conversely, location-adjusted remote bands compress the spread.

District of Columbia Software Engineer Salary: BLS $136K Median, Real $123K (2026)

TL;DR

BLS reports District of Columbia Software Engineer median pay at $136,040. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $122,876.
Wage envelope: $87,120 (P10) to $203,560 (P90), with quartiles at $114,690 and $166,970.
Cost premium eats $13,164 from the headline wage; the state ranks much lower on real take-home than nominal.
Nominal: #6/51 · Real: #30/51 — ranking shifts by 24 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — District of Columbia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$87,120	$78,690
P25 (lower quartile)	$114,690	$103,592
P50 (median)	$136,040	$122,876
P75 (upper quartile)	$166,970	$150,813
P90 (top tier)	$203,560	$183,863
Mean	$143,810	$129,894
Employment	8,250 Software Engineers in District of Columbia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	District of Columbia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	110.7
Goods	106.5
Services	109.0
Rents	168.1

District of Columbia is a high-cost state — RPP 110.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (168.1) and services (109.0).

After-tax take-home — District of Columbia (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Software Engineer)	$136,040	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$21,468	15.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$8,722	4–10.75% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$10,407	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$95,443	70.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$86,208	÷ (110.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the District of Columbia state-tax burden means for Software Engineer take-home

District of Columbia carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (6.4% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 29.8%, leaving $95,443 pre-RPP and $86,208 after the 110.7 cost-of-living index — a $49,832 gap from the headline gross.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $133,080 for Software Engineers with mean pay of $144,570 and total employment of 1,654,440. District of Columbia sits at #6 on nominal pay and #30 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, District of Columbia falls 24 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Software Engineer make in District of Columbia?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $136,040 for Software Engineers in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $114,690 and the 75th-percentile is $166,970.
How many Software Engineers does District of Columbia employ?: BLS OES counts 8,250 Software Engineers employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for District of Columbia different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. District of Columbia's overall index of 110.7 reflects rents 168.1, services 109.0, and goods 106.5.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Does the BLS software engineer wage include FAANG total comp in District of Columbia?: No — BLS OES captures W-2 base wages only. RSU vesting, sign-on bonuses, performance bonuses, and equity refreshes are not included. For senior tech-cluster roles in District of Columbia, total comp can run 30-70% above the BLS-reported median once equity is added back. The Levels.fyi-style breakdowns on the parent occupation page show the gap.
How does remote work affect software engineer pay in District of Columbia?: Remote-first companies typically anchor pay to one of three reference markets (Bay Area, NYC, or a national average) regardless of where the engineer lives. District of Columbia-resident engineers working remotely for high-CoL companies can earn well above the in-state BLS median; the BEA RPP-adjusted real wage advantage is meaningful. Conversely, location-adjusted remote bands compress the spread.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 15-1252, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how District of Columbia Software Engineer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.