Senior Systems Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 26 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Ashburn, Herndon, Mclean, Vienna, Reston.
Median salary$150,379
Middle 50%$127.9k–$160k
vs. all levels here+20%comparison median $125,000
Filings26FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All levels here
$110k$120k$130k$140k$150k$160k$170k$180k$190k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $122,637 |
| 25th | $127,931 |
| 50th (median) | $150,379 |
| 75th | $160,000 |
| 90th | $174,327 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $120,458 | $116,854 | $125,327 | 15 |
| FY2021 | $120,000 | $116,625 | $122,399 | 23 |
| FY2022 | $130,000 | $121,722 | $151,163 | 17 |
| FY2023 | $132,445 | $128,908 | $140,250 | 10 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2025 | $148,221 | $125,882 | $160,000 | 17 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 9 |
Cost of living
Washington's median senior Systems Engineer salary of $150,379 is worth about $138,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | too few | 4 |
| Navy Federal Credit Union | too few | 4 |
| Cloudflare | too few | 3 |
| Qualtrics | 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 | $95,784 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $122,699 | 39 |
| Senior · Level III | $150,379 | 26 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,000 | 11 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.