What is the average wage in Washington, DC?
Refreshed monthly
The average wage was $2,113 per week in August 2026, 5.6% higher than a year before. The average weekly wage, the typical earnings that employees bring home for one week of work, is a valuable indicator to assess economic conditions, labor market health, and wage trends. When accounting for the cost of living, Washington, DC’s average weekly wage of $2,113 has the purchasing power of $1,923.
$2.11K
average weekly earnings, August 2026
5.6%
higher than a year before (adjusted for inflation)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases monthly statistics tracking the wages of all employees who don’t work for the government. In August 2026, the average weekly wage in Washington, DC was $2,113. That represents the wages of 508,200 private-sector workers in the state.
As of August 2026, average weekly earnings for workers in Washington, DC was higher than the US overall.
12-month rolling average of average weekly earnings, 2007-2026, adjusted for inflation
As with other averages, most people earn more or less than the average weekly wage. Pay varies based on industry and occupation.
Which occupations have the highest wages?
In Washington, DC, workers in the professional and business services sector had the highest average weekly earnings at $2,585 per week, as of August 2026. Leisure and hospitality workers had the lowest average weekly wage at $886.In Washington, DC, professional and business services workers had the highest average weekly wage.
Average weekly earnings, by industry (August 2026)
How do wages in Washington, DC compare to the national average?
Cost of living, which also varies based on location, impacts how far a person’s earnings can go. Someone earning the weekly average will have more or less purchasing power depending on location. In Washington, DC, cost of living is higher than the US overall, and the state’s average weekly wage of $2,113 has purchasing power equal to $1,923.Washington, DC’s average weekly wage is above the national average, ranking null among states. When accounting for regional cost of living differences, Washington, DC ranks null among states.
Accounting for cost of living, Washington, DC had an average weekly wage of $1,923 in August 2026.
Average weekly wage, August 2026, adjusted with regional price parity (2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
