Registered Nurses salary in Washington, DC

Median pay for registered nurses in Washington, DC: $98,000/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $73,570 – $127,360 · about 43,360 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$17,190 (+21%).

What it's really worth in Washington

With Washington's cost of living at 110 (US=100), that $98,000 has the buying power of about $89,463 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $119,803 · median home $583,013 · median rent $2,416/mo.

Full Washington cost of living & taxes →

How Washington ranks for this job

On raw pay, Washington, DC is 31st of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Washington's cost of living is applied, it ranks 58th.

The headline number flatters Washington. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Washington

A median home in Washington, DC costs $583,013 — about 5.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,416/mo works out at 30% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where registered nurses earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Washington.

Metro	Median pay	vs Washington	Rent vs Washington
Vallejo, CA	$187,080	+91%	1×
San Francisco, CA	$181,240	+85%	1.3×
San Jose, CA	$179,210	+83%	1.5×
Sacramento, CA	$157,810	+61%	0.9×

Who hires registered nurses around Washington

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• U.S. Department of Defense · Government
• Georgetown University · Education

Other jobs in Washington