Biomedical Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 55 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Rockville, College Park, Silver Spring.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $66,474 |
| 25th | $79,999 |
| 50th (median) | $100,000 |
| 75th | $123,726 |
| 90th | $134,972 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $98,381 | $86,882 | $108,638 | 30 |
| FY2021 | $109,508 | $78,125 | $124,428 | 25 |
| FY2022 | $103,690 | $80,000 | $114,358 | 29 |
| FY2023 | $95,000 | $72,176 | $118,741 | 27 |
| FY2024 | $96,100 | $79,551 | $119,612 | 36 |
| FY2025 | $105,000 | $86,000 | $125,705 | 35 |
| FY2026 | $83,429 | $76,118 | $105,532 | 20 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Biomedical Engineer salary of $100,000 is worth about $91,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $110,390 in May 2025 (470 employed). The H-1B median here is $100,000, 9% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| National Institutes of Health, HHS | too few | 7 |
| University of Maryland College Park | too few | 6 |
| Children's National Medical Center | too few | 4 |
| Arcellx | too few | 2 |
| Food And Drug Administration | too few | 2 |
| Innovative Cellular Therapeutics | too few | 2 |
| MedImmune | too few | 2 |
| Meso Scale Diagnostics | too few | 2 |
| Richard-Allan Scientific | too few | 2 |
| The Henry M. Jackson Foundation | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $79,539 | 20 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,000 | 13 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 3 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $57,512 | $79,539 | 20 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,805 | $100,000 | 13 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.