Entry-level Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary in Washington, DC

Based on 33 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Gaithersburg, Chantilly, Arlington, Rockville, Sterling.

Also listed as: Compliance Specialist

Median salary$64,900

Middle 50%$62k–$70k

vs. all levels here−22%comparison median $82,950

Filings33FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

All levels here

$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k$100k

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $61,984 and $141,624.

Percentile	Salary
10th	$61,984
25th	$61,984
50th (median)	$64,900
75th	$70,000
90th	$71,976

Cost of living

Washington's median entry-level Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary of $64,900 is worth about $59,600 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Regulatory Affairs Specialists in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $100,200 in May 2025 (13,820 employed). The H-1B median here is $64,900, 35% lower.

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
Granules Pharmaceuticals	too few	7
Advantage Consulting & Engineering Services	too few	2
Brij Strategic Consultations	too few	2
DEKRA Certification	too few	2
Granules Consumer Health	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	$64,900	33
Mid-level · Level II	$82,950	31
Senior · Level III	–	0
Expert · Level IV	$144,395	21

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	$61,984	$64,900	33
Mid-level · Level II	$79,290	$82,950	31
Expert · Level IV	$113,880	$144,395	21

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.