Data Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 162 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Arlington, Vienna, Herndon, Mclean, Bethesda.
Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $110,000 |
| 25th | $130,676 |
| 50th (median) | $155,938 |
| 75th | $178,743 |
| 90th | $191,884 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $104,300 | $97,094 | $123,401 | 26 |
| FY2021 | $98,000 | $97,406 | $116,600 | 37 |
| FY2022 | $129,495 | $103,000 | $155,000 | 57 |
| FY2023 | $122,830 | $97,000 | $147,062 | 116 |
| FY2024 | $135,000 | $132,025 | $161,020 | 102 |
| FY2025 | $153,275 | $129,251 | $176,405 | 109 |
| FY2026 | $156,526 | $146,910 | $183,248 | 53 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Data Engineer salary of $155,938 is worth about $143,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Database Architects in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $162,870 in May 2025 (4,740 employed). The H-1B median here is $155,938, 4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Navy Federal Credit Union | $179,218 | 25 |
| Amazon | $134,950 | 18 |
| Deloitte | $156,526 | 13 |
| Retail Services and Systems | too few | 5 |
| Cognizant | too few | 4 |
| Microsoft | too few | 4 |
| Slalom | too few | 4 |
| Meta | too few | 3 |
| CGI | too few | 2 |
| American Consulting Solutions | 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 | $110,000 | 30 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $155,938 | 58 |
| Senior · Level III | $180,000 | 33 |
| Expert · Level IV | $205,504 | 13 |
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 | $105,206 | $110,000 | 30 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $129,251 | $155,938 | 58 |
| Senior · Level III | $153,275 | $180,000 | 33 |
| Expert · Level IV | $177,320 | $205,504 | 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.