Senior Economist salary in Washington, DC
Based on 49 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Arlington, Washington Dc, Washington, Dc, Vienna, Washington, D.c..
Also listed as: Research Economist, Associate Economist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $149,741 |
| 25th | $165,000 |
| 50th (median) | $170,000 |
| 75th | $190,000 |
| 90th | $220,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $148,750 | $155,563 | 28 |
| FY2021 | $150,000 | $146,000 | $162,500 | 35 |
| FY2022 | $160,000 | $150,000 | $165,000 | 41 |
| FY2023 | $165,000 | $160,000 | $176,190 | 17 |
| FY2024 | $174,500 | $153,750 | $183,950 | 18 |
| FY2025 | $170,000 | $165,000 | $198,125 | 34 |
| FY2026 | $170,000 | $162,125 | $185,000 | 15 |
Cost of living
Washington's median senior Economist salary of $170,000 is worth about $156,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Economists in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $156,750 in May 2025 (4,570 employed). The H-1B median here is $170,000, 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System | $170,000 | 13 |
| Compass Lexecon | too few | 6 |
| CRA International | too few | 6 |
| Amazon | too few | 5 |
| Analysis Group | too few | 4 |
| Econic Partners | too few | 3 |
| Fti | too few | 2 |
| The Urban Institute | 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 | 62 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $154,750 | 60 |
| Senior · Level III | $170,000 | 49 |
| Expert · Level IV | $230,000 | 34 |
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 | $96,782 | $110,000 | 62 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $129,667 | $154,750 | 60 |
| Senior · Level III | $157,622 | $170,000 | 49 |
| Expert · Level IV | $188,032 | $230,000 | 34 |
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.