RN
$106,980
Above+$5,560
Rank 9 of 51
Salary data / District of Columbia
District of Columbia nurse salary 2026: RN, NP & travel pay
Average RN salary in District of Columbia
$106,980
$51.43/hr9th of 51National $101,420
$5,560 above the national average, but only 45th once rent and groceries are counted.
NP
$137,600
Above+$300
Rank 9 of 49
CRNA
$200,000
Below−$48,320
Rank 48 of 51
Travel RN base
$114,282
Above+$13,150
Rank 2 of 51
ICU RN · posted pay
$134,467
Above+$49,262
Rank 1 of 51
ER RN · posted pay
$98,015
No national figure
Rank 2 of 51
ICU and ER figures are averages of posted pay from job-board aggregators such as Nurse.org, not BLS means. They run below the BLS RN mean in most states, so compare them with each other and with the national ICU figure, not with the RN figure beside them.
Raw vs cost-of-living adjusted
District of Columbia drops from 9th to 45th once prices are counted
Prices in District of Columbia run 17.5% above the national average (regional price parity 117.5). That makes the $106,980 mean spend like $91,047 elsewhere.
| Measure | Pay | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Mean wage | $106,980 | 9 of 51 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted | $91,047 | 45 of 51 |
Travel nursing in District of Columbia
Posted travel base is $2,198 a week before stipends
Posted base · weekly
$2,198/wk
$114,282 a year posted ÷ 52 weeks
2nd of 51 · $13,150 above the national $101,132
Why this is lower than the package numbers in the guide below
Posted base is the taxable rate on the job listing. Housing and meal stipends are paid on top of it and are not in this number.
Stipends are only tax-free if you keep a tax home. Run your own contract before you compare offers.
What shapes pay here
Income tax up to 10.75%, no ratio law, no compact license
- State income tax
- Up to 10.75%
District of Columbia rates rise to 10.75% on the top bracket, so the effective rate on a $106,980 salary is lower than 10.75%.
- Staffing ratio law
- No law
District of Columbia mandates no ratios, so each hospital sets staffing. Ask for the unit's actual ratio before you accept.
- Nurse Licensure Compact
- Not a member
Non-member. Legislation pending — bills reintroduced 2025. A multistate license does not reach District of Columbia. Licensure by endorsement through the DC Board of Nursing costs $200 and takes 4–6 weeks.
The full guide
What the District of Columbia numbers leave out
Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Washington DC
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025, released May 15, 2026) places the Washington DC RN mean annual wage at $106,980, equivalent to $51.43 per hour. That figure sits 5.5% above the national RN mean of $101,420 — a premium that reflects something specific about DC's nursing market rather than a general region-wide dynamic. Maryland and Virginia RN wages run closer to the national mean; DC's premium is concentrated in the District itself, driven by three structural factors: the highest urban density of major academic medical centers in the country, a federal employer presence that sets compensation floors at NIH and VA Medical Center, and a competitive labor market where Georgetown, GWU, MedStar, Howard, and Children's National are all actively recruiting from the same limited pool of experienced DC-licensed nurses.
The non-compact status of the District matters here in a way it doesn't in most compact states. A nurse from Virginia with a multistate license cannot simply show up in DC and practice — they need a separate DC endorsement from the DC Board of Nursing. That licensing friction reduces the effective supply of nurses available for quick DC deployment, which supports wages above the regional baseline. It also explains why travel nurse pay in DC tracks above the posted national average: the restricted labor supply makes DC assignments command a premium even in a normalized post-pandemic travel market.
DC is a small, dense jurisdiction with approximately 700,000 residents but a patient volume and case complexity that punches far above that population figure. The NIH Clinical Center alone handles some of the most complex research cases in the country. MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the region's designated trauma center for the most severe injuries. Children's National Medical Center is ranked among the top pediatric hospitals nationally. Each of these employers competes for the same licensed pool — and that competition pushes wages up in a way that simply doesn't happen in jurisdictions served by a single dominant hospital system.
Mean Annual RN
$106,980
BLS May 2025 • $51.43/hr
National RN Mean
$101,420
DC is 5.5% above
ICU RN (DC)
$134,467
$27,487 above general DC RN
RN Salary by Percentile
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | ~$69,000 | ~$33.17 |
| 25th | ~$84,000 | ~$40.38 |
| Median (50th) | ~$104,000 | ~$50.00 |
| 75th | ~$127,000 | ~$61.06 |
| 90th | ~$150,000 | ~$72.12 |
| Mean | $106,980 | $51.43 |
The DC income tax math: Washington DC imposes its own income tax at rates ranging from 4% to 10.75%, with the top bracket applying above $1 million. For a DC RN earning $106,980, the effective DC income tax rate runs approximately 6.5–7.5%, adding roughly $7,000–$8,000 per year in District tax liability on top of federal obligations. DC is not a zero-income-tax jurisdiction. Nurses evaluating a DC relocation from states like Texas, Florida, or Washington state — which have no income tax — need to run the after-DC-tax number before comparing take-home pay. The 5.5% gross wage premium over the national mean narrows meaningfully once DC income tax is factored in.
Specialty & Advanced Practice Salaries in Washington DC
DC's specialty salary picture reflects what happens when you pack six major hospital systems into 68 square miles and add federal health institutions that operate on GS pay schedules. The ICU premium in DC is one of the highest in the country — $134,467 for critical care RNs represents a $27,487 gap over the general DC RN mean. That gap reflects genuine scarcity: the NIH Clinical Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center's Level I Trauma unit, and Georgetown's cardiac and oncology programs all demand experienced ICU nurses and compete openly for them. Advanced practice salaries in DC are similarly elevated, with NPs slightly above the national mean and CRNAs representing a more complicated data picture due to the small workforce sample in a geographically compact jurisdiction.
| Role | DC Annual Mean | Hourly | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICU RN | $134,467 | $64.65 | +$27,487 vs. DC general RN |
| NP | $137,600 | $66.15 | +0.2% vs. $137,300 national |
| ER RN | $98,015 | $47.12 | — |
| General RN | $106,980 | $51.43 | +5.5% vs. $101,420 |
| CRNA | ~$200,000–$280,000 range — see note below | ||
NP Salary & Scope of Practice
Washington DC nurse practitioners average $137,600 per year — essentially at the national NP mean of $137,300 (BLS OEWS May 2025). DC grants full practice authority to NPs: diagnose, order diagnostics, prescribe Schedule II–V controlled substances, independently manage treatment plans — no physician supervision or collaborative agreement required. DC APRN licensure requires an active DC RN license and current national certification. Licenses renew on a two-year cycle. NPs in DC are embedded in some of the country's most complex clinical environments: the NIH Clinical Center, Georgetown University Hospital's outpatient oncology programs, Howard University Hospital's urban health clinics, and George Washington University Hospital's trauma follow-up practices. In those environments, NP compensation tends to run at the higher end of the DC range, with total packages at major academic centers including productivity bonuses, student loan assistance, and research stipends that aren't captured in the BLS mean wage figure.
CRNA Salary in Washington DC
DC CRNA compensation is reported as a range rather than a single figure — approximately $200,000–$280,000 per year — for a specific reason: DC's geographic size means its CRNA workforce is numerically small, which causes BLS OEWS estimates to carry wide confidence intervals and makes year-over-year comparisons unreliable. The underlying range is real. Federal employer positions at NIH, the DC VA Medical Center, and the National Naval Medical Center (Walter Reed) operate on government pay scales with CRNA compensation at the lower end of DC's market range but with superior benefits packages (federal retirement, FEHB health insurance, TSP match). Private academic medical centers — Georgetown, GWU — tend to pay above GS-equivalent rates to compete with contract anesthesia groups, pushing the upper end of the range. CRNAs in DC practice under full practice authority in the District's healthcare facilities.
Federal employment floor: DC's nursing market is unusual in the US because multiple federal health employers — NIH Clinical Center, DC VA Medical Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (technically in Bethesda, MD) — employ significant numbers of nurses on GS or equivalent pay schedules. Federal RN positions in DC typically pay GS-9 through GS-12 equivalents ($68,000–$112,000) plus FEHB health benefits valued at $12,000–$20,000/year, TSP match, and defined-benefit retirement. That federal compensation floor forces private hospital systems in DC to price their own benefit packages competitively, lifting the overall compensation floor for DC nurses above what the BLS wage figure alone suggests.
DC Nurse Salary by Hospital System
Washington DC's nursing market is defined by a small number of large, competing employers — a concentration unusual for any US city its size. Each system recruits from the same DC-licensed nurse pool (non-compact status limits the casual import of nurses from Virginia and Maryland), creating genuine competition that holds wages up across the board. Here's what the major employers pay and where they position in the DC market.
MedStar Health (Georgetown + Washington Hospital Center)
MedStar is the dominant private employer in DC nursing, operating MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (academic medical center, Magnet-designated, Level IV trauma) and MedStar Washington Hospital Center (Level I Trauma, highest-volume hospital in the region). RN pay at MedStar Georgetown runs approximately $101,000–$120,000 for experienced nurses (Glassdoor 2026 data), with ICU and OR nurses at the upper end. Washington Hospital Center, as the region's primary trauma and cardiac center, commands similar base rates with shift differentials and trauma pay adding meaningfully to total compensation. MedStar's union contracts (NNOC/NNU represents nurses at WHC) set minimum steps that floor the wage ladder.
GWU Hospital (Universal Health Services)
The George Washington University Hospital is operated by Universal Health Services and consistently positions as one of the highest-paying DC employers for new graduate RNs. GWU's position adjacent to the State Department corridor and federal government buildings means its ER and trauma services handle a distinctly mixed patient population, and its nurse staffing competition with nearby MedStar systems drives its base rates above average for new nurses. Experienced RNs at GWU run in the $105,000–$130,000 range depending on unit and tenure.
Howard University Hospital
Howard University Hospital occupies a specific role in the DC market as an academic medical center serving a predominantly underserved urban population, with strong nursing programs tied to Howard's nursing school. Base RN wages at Howard trend slightly below MedStar and GWU, but Howard nursing positions carry academic affiliation benefits including access to Howard's nursing tuition programs and research opportunities that are factored into total compensation calculations by nurses who value career development over immediate cash compensation.
Children's National Medical Center
Children's National is a freestanding pediatric hospital ranked among the top 10 children's hospitals in the country. Pediatric nursing in DC at Children's National commands premiums for PICU, NICU, and pediatric oncology specialties, with experienced nurses in those units at the upper tier of the DC wage scale. Children's National is Magnet-designated and actively competes for PICU and NICU nurses with the broader regional market.
NIH Clinical Center
The NIH Clinical Center is a federal research hospital entirely funded by the National Institutes of Health and operates on federal pay schedules. NIH nursing positions offer exceptional research exposure — nurses at NIH participate in phase I–III clinical trials and complex case protocols that are unmatched anywhere in the US — but federal compensation rules mean base cash wages tend to fall in the $80,000–$115,000 range (GS equivalents) with the difference made up in federal benefits, student loan forgiveness eligibility under PSLF, and research mentorship that positions nurses for advanced degree paths.
Travel Nursing in Washington DC
DC travel nursing sits in a specific market niche. Posted DC travel RN rates average approximately $114,282 per year ($2,198/week) in 2026 — above the national posted travel average of $101,132 but well below the highest-paying travel markets like California or New York. The DC premium over national average stems from the non-compact licensing barrier: travel nurses must hold an active DC license to accept assignments in the District, which limits the supply of immediately deployable travelers and supports rates above regional norms. A travel nurse licensed only in Virginia or Maryland cannot directly accept a DC assignment without first completing DC endorsement — a process that adds weeks to deployment timelines.
For nurses who already hold DC licensure, the travel market here is steady rather than volatile. MedStar systems periodically post travel positions at Washington Hospital Center for trauma, cardiac ICU, and ER specialties during high-census periods. Total travel compensation packages in DC include the standard non-taxable stipend component (housing + meals + incidentals per GSA DC per diem rates, which are among the highest in the country), bringing total weekly packages for ICU travelers in DC to $2,400–$2,800+. DC housing costs are steep enough that the tax-free stipend, while substantial, does not fully cover the cost of short-term furnished housing in the District proper; most DC travel nurses stay in Maryland or Virginia suburbs and commute.
Running the DC travel math?
Use the Travel Nurse Stipend Calculator to estimate DC total package value, break out taxable vs. tax-free pay, and compare against local staff RN take-home after DC income tax.
Calculate DC Travel PayCost of Living & Take-Home Pay in DC
Washington DC is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. The cost of living index for the District runs approximately 45–55% above the national average, driven primarily by housing. A one-bedroom apartment in DC's Northwest quadrant (near the hospital corridor) runs $2,200–$3,200/month; two-bedroom units in Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights, or Navy Yard run $3,000–$4,500/month. Nurses living in Prince George's County, Maryland, or Arlington/Alexandria, Virginia, face lower housing costs but add commute time and transportation costs — and still pay DC income tax on wages earned in the District under reciprocity rules.
Running the real take-home number for a DC RN earning $106,980: federal income tax (approximately 22% bracket), DC income tax (approximately 7% effective rate), and FICA (7.65%) together reduce gross pay by roughly 37–40%, leaving a net monthly take-home of approximately $5,400–$5,600 for a single filer. Against a median DC one-bedroom rent of $2,500–$2,800, housing absorbs 45–50% of take-home. The gross wage premium over the national mean does not fully compensate for DC's cost of living — a nurse earning $88,000 in a low-cost-of-living market in the mid-South may have equivalent or better real purchasing power. DC nursing compensation is competitive in absolute terms, not in cost-of-living-adjusted terms.
The calculation changes for nurses who eliminate the housing premium by living with family or in employer-provided housing (some DC hospitals offer housing assistance or partnerships with nearby apartment buildings for nurses). Federal positions also come with FEHB health insurance worth $12,000–$20,000/year in employer contributions, which meaningfully improves total compensation for nurses on federal pay scales who would otherwise buy individual market health insurance in DC.
DC Nursing Licensure & Non-Compact Status
Washington DC is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurses wanting to practice in the District must hold a DC-issued RN or LPN license regardless of what state license they hold. The DC Board of Nursing (part of DC Health's Health Licensing Office) processes applications for endorsement, examination, and renewal. As of 2026, DC Bill B26-69 — which would authorize the Mayor to enter the NLC — remains pending in the DC Council. Until that legislation passes and DC formally joins the compact, nurses must maintain DC licensure separately from any other state licenses they hold.
For nurses licensed in Maryland or Virginia considering DC assignments or employment, the endorsement process typically takes four to eight weeks. DC requires the same core documentation as most states: proof of current active RN license, official transcripts from nursing school, and passing NCLEX scores (or verification through Nursys). There is no DC-specific jurisprudence exam. Fees run approximately $75 for the endorsement application. Nurses already in the DC area who hold Maryland or Virginia licenses and want DC access should initiate the application well in advance — the non-compact barrier is the primary labor supply friction in this market.
Pending DC compact legislation: DC Bill B26-69 would bring DC into the Nurse Licensure Compact, allowing nurses with multistate licenses to practice in the District under their home-state license. As of July 2026, the bill has been introduced but not enacted. If it passes, the immediate effect would be increased nurse supply availability in DC, which would moderate travel nurse rates and reduce some of the licensing-friction wage premium that currently supports DC nurse compensation above regional norms. Watch the DC Council calendar if this affects your planning.
DC Nursing Job Market
DC's nursing job market is competitive but structurally undersupplied relative to demand. The non-compact licensing barrier keeps the effective labor pool smaller than the regional population of licensed nurses would suggest. DC's own nursing school pipeline — Georgetown, GWU, Howard, Catholic University — produces graduates who often leave the District for lower-cost Virginia and Maryland housing while retaining DC employment. That dynamic means DC hospitals are perpetually recruiting even in markets where regional nurse unemployment might otherwise create slack.
Specialties in active demand across DC hospital systems as of mid-2026: Level I Trauma and cardiac ICU at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, PICU and NICU at Children's National, oncology nursing at Georgetown's cancer center, behavioral health across the MedStar and GWU systems, and perioperative nursing across all major facilities. Federal nursing positions at NIH and the DC VA are posted through USAJOBS.gov on a rolling basis; federal hiring timelines run longer than private hospital processes (four to eight months from application to start for competitive positions), but the positions carry exceptional stability and retirement benefits.
New graduate RNs in DC face a competitive but navigable job market. Major DC hospitals participate in structured nurse residency programs that smooth the transition from nursing school to clinical practice. GWU Hospital, Georgetown, and Children's National all run formal residency programs with cohorts. Children's National in particular has a strong track record of converting residency participants to permanent staff. For new grads with DC licensure, the non-compact status that creates friction for traveling nurses actually works in their favor: the limited inflow of credentialed nurses from other states makes local new graduates more competitive for entry-level positions than they would be in compact states with unrestricted nurse labor mobility.
See what DC nursing actually pays
The Nurse Pay Calculator breaks out gross-to-net for DC income tax, compares take-home across DC vs. Maryland vs. Virginia employer locations, and estimates the real housing-adjusted value of a DC offer.
Open Pay CalculatorCommon questions
District of Columbia nurse pay, answered
What is the average RN salary in Washington DC in 2026?
Washington DC registered nurses average $106,980 per year ($51.43/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data — 5.5% above the national RN mean of $101,420. DC's premium reflects the concentration of major academic medical centers (Georgetown, GWU, Howard University, Children's National), the federal employer presence at NIH and the DC VA Medical Center, and a competitive urban labor market where major hospital systems must bid against each other and federal pay scales to attract experienced nurses. DC's high cost of living, particularly housing, partially offsets the nominal wage premium.
Is Washington DC in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)?
No. Washington DC is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. DC nurses must hold a DC-issued RN or LPN license, and nurses from compact states cannot use their multistate license to practice in DC. There is pending legislation — DC Bill B26-69 — that would authorize the Mayor to enter the NLC, but as of mid-2026 it has not been enacted. Any nurse relocating to DC or accepting a DC travel assignment who is not already DC-licensed must apply for DC endorsement through the DC Board of Nursing before practicing.
Do nurse practitioners in Washington DC have full practice authority?
Yes. Washington DC grants nurse practitioners full practice authority. DC NPs can diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications including Schedule II through V controlled substances, and independently manage complete treatment plans without a physician supervision or collaborative practice requirement. DC NPs averaged $137,600 per year in 2026, slightly above the national NP mean of $137,300 (BLS OEWS May 2025). DC APRN licensure requires an active DC RN license and current national certification; licenses renew on a two-year cycle with continuing education requirements.
Why is DC CRNA salary data reported as a range rather than a single figure?
The District of Columbia has a very small CRNA workforce by national standards — a function of its compact geographic size rather than lack of demand. When BLS OEWS samples a small occupational group, the resulting estimate carries a wide confidence interval and can vary significantly year over year. Published figures for DC CRNAs range from approximately $200,000 to $280,000 annually depending on source and methodology. The range reflects real variation between employer types: private academic medical centers, federal positions at NIH and VA, and contract anesthesia groups all pay on different scales. This data uncertainty is normal for high-wage, small-workforce occupations in the DC market.
How does DC income tax affect nursing take-home pay?
Washington DC imposes its own income tax on earned wages at rates ranging from 4% to 10.75%, with the highest marginal rate applying to incomes above $1 million. For a DC RN earning $106,980, the effective DC income tax rate is approximately 6.5–7.5% — roughly $7,000–$8,000 per year in DC income tax, in addition to federal income and FICA taxes. Unlike states with no income tax (Wyoming, Texas, Florida, Washington state), DC offers no income-tax advantage. Nurses commuting from Maryland or Virginia suburbs and employed in DC pay DC income tax under reciprocity rules. The cost-of-living analysis for DC nurses must factor in both the income tax obligation and the city's above-average housing costs.
Neighbouring states
District of Columbia pays more than every neighbour
Sources and methodology
Where these numbers come from
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · District of Columbia RN, NP and CRNA estimates
- Regional Price Parities by StateU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · District of Columbia 117.5
- ICU, ER and travel nurse pay, 2026ZipRecruiter posted rates; travel packages from Vivian Health
- CRNA pay, 2026TheCRNA.com blended dataset (BLS OEWS plus 2026 listings)
- Nurse Licensure Compact statusNCSBN membership, via the compact license map
- Staffing ratio law statusThe Nursing Directory ratio law tracker
Methodology
Ranks cover the 50 states and DC; a role ranks among the states that publish it. Adjusted pay divides the District of Columbia mean by its regional price parity, so prices 17.5% above average lower it by the same share.
Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. ICU and ER are specialties within the RN occupation with no separate federal series, so they come from 2026 aggregator data. Travel figures are posted base pay and exclude stipends. Figures last updated Sep 30, 2026.
Cited in the guide
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-1141). Percentiles estimated from DC wage distribution; mean is exact BLS figure. DC's small geographic area and concentrated hospital market produce a relatively compressed wage distribution compared to larger states.
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; ZipRecruiter/Salary.com 2026 (ICU, ER specialty estimates). NP figure BLS SOC 29-1171.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025, released May 15, 2026 (SOC 29-1141 RN, 29-1171 NP). Specialty estimates (ICU, ER) from ZipRecruiter and Salary.com 2026 survey data. Travel nurse figures from ZipRecruiter national posted rates, March 2026. CRNA range compiled from available 2026 industry sources; BLS OEWS May 2025 CRNA DC estimate not displayed due to small-sample uncertainty. Employer-level salary data from Glassdoor 2026 submissions. DC licensure information from DC Board of Nursing and DC Health Licensing Office. All figures for informational purposes; actual compensation varies by employer, experience, unit, and negotiation.
Estimates only. Not tax or legal advice. Verify pay and licensing with the employer and the board of nursing before you sign.
Sources and method
Last updated
Registered nurse, nurse practitioner and licensed practical nurse figures on this page are Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, released May 15, 2026, the most recent federal release, except where BLS suppressed a state estimate and the page names another source. Travel nurse, CRNA, ICU and ER figures come from private publishers named on the page (ZipRecruiter, Vivian Health, Salary.com, TheCRNA), which build their estimates from job postings or self-reported pay rather than employer payroll records. An automated check compares the figures on this page with the site's salary dataset on every change.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: wage estimates by occupation and state, released May 15, 2026.
- BLS OEWS: registered nurses (29-1141): registered nurse wages, national and by state.