Sociologist salary in Washington, DC
Based on 30 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Arlington, Fairfax, Burke, College Park, Beltsville.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $68,682 |
| 25th | $76,713 |
| 50th (median) | $94,985 |
| 75th | $124,862 |
| 90th | $159,100 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $68,912 | $57,750 | $83,500 | 28 |
| FY2021 | $82,698 | $65,750 | $134,000 | 16 |
| FY2022 | $95,000 | $90,000 | $109,370 | 17 |
| FY2023 | $75,000 | $69,103 | $93,000 | 15 |
| FY2024 | $98,880 | $73,050 | $121,500 | 16 |
| FY2025 | $97,500 | $84,292 | $129,282 | 16 |
| FY2026 | $87,059 | $75,617 | $105,231 | 14 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Sociologist salary of $94,985 is worth about $87,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Sociologists in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $103,840 in May 2025 (60 employed). The H-1B median here is $94,985, 9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmahelp Foundation | too few | 4 |
| The RAND | too few | 4 |
| Norc | too few | 3 |
| FrameWorks Institute | too few | 2 |
| Rare | too few | 2 |
| The Nature Conservancy | 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 | too few | 8 |
| Mid-level · Level II | – | 0 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 3 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.