Registered Nurse salary in Washington, DC

Based on 37 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Lanham, Frederick, Arlington, Clinton, Silver Spring.

Also listed as: Nurse

Median salary$90,792
Middle 50%$87k–$99.1k
vs. national median+13%comparison median $80,288
Filings37FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $75,098 and $120,067.
PercentileSalary
10th$80,984
25th$86,965
50th (median)$90,792
75th$99,112
90th$109,807

Cost of living

Washington's median Registered Nurse salary of $90,792 is worth about $83,400 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).

Compared with all workers here

All Registered Nurses in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $102,710 in May 2025 (46,830 employed). The H-1B median here is $90,792, 12% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Management Health Systems$88,87812
Frederick Health Hospitaltoo few5
The MedStar-Georgetown Medical Centertoo few4
Adventist Healthcaretoo few3
Medical Facilities Of America Xitoo few3
Fairfax Operatortoo few2
HH MedStar Healthtoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II $86,965 18
Senior · Level III $99,112 11
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$90,792$86,96518
Senior · Level III$99,112$99,11211

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.