Software Developers salary in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia

With about 68,000 Software Developers employed in the Washington, D.C. metro, this is one of the larger concentrations of the occupation in the country. The median annual wage came in at $150,880 in 2024, around 9% above the D.C. state median of $136,040 and about 9% above the national median of $138,520.

The mean wage of $151,000 sits almost exactly at the median, which is unusual. In most metros, a smaller group of very high earners pulls the average noticeably above the midpoint. Here the two figures are nearly identical, which suggests the wage distribution is fairly even across experience levels rather than top-heavy.

The p10 to p90 range runs from $94,370 to $211,230, a span of roughly $117,000. That gap is wide by any measure. A developer at the bottom of the range earns just under $95,000; one at the top earns more than twice that. The spread likely reflects the mix of roles in the area: entry-level positions at federal contractors and consulting firms on one end, senior architects and principal engineers on the other.

The D.C. metro premium over the national median is real but modest compared to West Coast tech hubs. What stands out more is the employment scale. At 68,210 jobs, the metro ranks among the top in the country for this occupation, driven by federal agency work, defense contracting, and the consulting sector that supports both.