Validation Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 56 certified H-1B filings in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Rockville, Arlington, College Park, Reston, Sterling.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $93,695 |
| 25th | $100,000 |
| 50th (median) | $123,490 |
| 75th | $145,850 |
| 90th | $165,346 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $88,000 | $87,173 | $109,300 | 37 |
| FY2021 | $106,750 | $86,460 | $115,170 | 24 |
| FY2022 | $100,000 | $91,312 | $114,920 | 43 |
| FY2023 | $111,301 | $100,623 | $116,572 | 22 |
| FY2024 | $117,831 | $82,638 | $130,000 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $117,104 | $99,216 | $125,008 | 33 |
| FY2026 | $126,152 | $114,205 | $159,452 | 23 |
Cost of living
Washington's median Validation Engineer salary of $123,490 is worth about $113,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Validation Engineers in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $151,340 in May 2025 (9,230 employed). The H-1B median here is $123,490, 18% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Axle Informatics | too few | 4 |
| Molg | too few | 4 |
| Cbre | too few | 3 |
| Inception Robotics | too few | 3 |
| Affiliated Engineers Metro DC | too few | 2 |
| DNV Energy Insights | too few | 2 |
| Green Brilliance | too few | 2 |
| ibV Energy Partners | too few | 2 |
| IonQ Quantum | too few | 2 |
| Limbach Facility & Project Solutions | 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 | $100,000 | 19 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $126,152 | 21 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 6 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
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 | $90,542 | $100,000 | 19 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $126,152 | $126,152 | 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.