Senior Data Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 33 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $153,275 |
| 25th | $160,000 |
| 50th (median) | $180,000 |
| 75th | $184,000 |
| 90th | $192,625 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 5 |
| FY2022 | $132,288 | $130,000 | $158,642 | 13 |
| FY2023 | $140,000 | $121,826 | $163,600 | 22 |
| FY2024 | $165,000 | $164,467 | $171,442 | 11 |
| FY2025 | $175,000 | $155,000 | $183,248 | 25 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 8 |
Cost of living
Washington's median senior Data Engineer salary of $180,000 is worth about $165,300 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 $180,000, 11% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Navy Federal Credit Union | too few | 8 |
| Cognizant | too few | 4 |
| BeOne Medicines | too few | 2 |
| Microsoft | 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.