Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median wage for Project Management Specialists in DC was $103,190 in 2024, about 2% above the national median of $100,946. That gap is real but narrow. DC is not an outlier here the way it is for some legal or policy-adjacent roles.
The spread across the pay range is where the more interesting story sits. The 10th percentile came in at $62,000, the 90th at $178,090. Top earners in DC made roughly 2.9 times what the lowest-paid tenth made. That is a wide range for a single occupation title, and it reflects how much the role varies in practice: an entry-level coordinator tracking deliverables for a nonprofit sits at one end; a senior program manager overseeing a federal IT contract sits at the other.
DC's cost-of-living index is 117.7, meaning prices here run about 18% above the national baseline. Adjusted for that, the median wage translates to roughly $87,600 in national-baseline dollars. The nominal premium over the US median essentially disappears after that adjustment. A Project Management Specialist in DC earns slightly more on paper and slightly less in purchasing terms than the typical peer elsewhere in the country.
BLS projects employment for this occupation to grow 5.6% between 2024 and 2034, a pace it classifies as faster than average. DC's concentration of federal agencies and government contractors keeps steady demand for the role even when private-sector hiring slows, though the wage data alone does not tell us how that split breaks down between public and private employers.
Salary distribution
Where District of Columbia project management specialists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $79,340 and $143,440, with a median of $104,900.
Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 27 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $95,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 9 | $78,600 |
| Level II — qualified | 13 | $102,482 |
| Level III — experienced | 1 | $95,000 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 4 | $166,900 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | PLANNING SPECIALIST | 2 | $85,000 |
| Placify LLC | Project Manager - Scrum Master | 2 | $102,482 |
| TECH MAHINDRA (AMERICAS), INC | Project Manager | 2 | $106,116 |
| As If Pictures US, Inc. | Chief Operating Officer | 1 | $164,800 |
| Bay Atlantic University (BAU) LLC | Strategic Project Manager | 1 | $73,195 |
| Center for Democracy and Technology | Project Management Specialist (Free Expression Project) | 1 | $94,000 |
| Chamberlain University LLC | Director, Project Delivery | 1 | $205,000 |
| Due Process of Law Foundation | Grants Manager | 1 | $73,882 |
| Georgetown University | Senior Project Manager | 1 | $107,019 |
| Imago Global Grassroots | Program Manager | 1 | $104,829 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Regional Validation Program Manager at Waymo LLC$169,000Washington, D.C.Wage Level IVDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-705555
- Program Manager at Imago Global Grassroots$104,829WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Feb 17, 2026I-200-26040-628311
- PLANNING SPECIALIST at DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS$85,000WASHINGTONWage Level IDecided Jan 7, 2026I-200-25364-516654
- Project Manager - Scrum Master at Placify LLC$102,482WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Dec 4, 2025I-200-25330-439847
- Project Manager - Scrum Master at Placify LLC$102,482WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Nov 20, 2025I-200-25317-405305
- Domain Project Lead 1 at INFOSYS LIMITED$102,482WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Nov 17, 2025I-200-25311-386432
- Project Manager at TECH MAHINDRA (AMERICAS), INC$102,482WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Nov 7, 2025I-200-25305-355091
- Project Manager at KEY GLOBAL SYNERGIES INC$78,600WASHINGTONWage Level IDecided Sep 30, 2025I-200-25266-328317
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Project Management Specialists pay by experience level in District of Columbia
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia, by industry
Median offered wage across 26 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Nonprofit and civic leads with a median of $80,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit and civic | Center for Democracy and Technology | 9 | $80,000 |
| Technology and software | Placify LLC | 6 | $102,482 |
| Professional services | Imago Global Grassroots | 4 | $89,365 |
| Education | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | $85,000 |
| Media and entertainment | As If Pictures US, Inc. | 1 | $164,800 |
| Energy and utilities | Solar Solution DC LLC | 1 | $99,840 |
| Government and public sector | Chamberlain University LLC | 1 | $205,000 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in District of Columbia over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
Common tasks (O*NET)
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+5.6%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in District of Columbia
Metro-level salary data for project management specialists in major District of Columbia metropolitan areas.
- Washington, D.C.$127,030
Compare Project Management Specialists pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare District of Columbia with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia is $104,900.
- How does District of Columbia compare to the national median for Project Management Specialists?
- The District of Columbia median is -0.1% versus the BLS national figure of $104,968.
- What is the salary range for Project Management Specialists in District of Columbia?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $64,080 and the 90th-percentile at $194,170, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Project Management Specialists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 5.6% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Project Management Specialists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.