Nurse practitioner salary in District of Columbia
District of Columbia nurse practitioners earn a median of $135,880 a year ($65.33 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 3% above the national median of $132,300, and ranks 14th of 51 states.
Median, District of Columbia
$135,880
Mean $146,470
Middle half earns
$125,490 to $160,950
US: $117,990 to $156,700
Employed in District of Columbia
680
0.47x the national concentration
Where District of Columbia sits in the range
District of Columbia
Statewide
United States
National
Washington
Metro area
Nurse practitioner pay by percentile
Ten percent of District of Columbia nurse practitioners earned less than $115,200 and ten percent earned more than $180,300, a spread of $65,100. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | District of Columbia | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $115,200 | $101,340 | +13.7% |
| 25th | $125,490 | $117,990 | +6.4% |
| Median | $135,880 | $132,300 | +2.7% |
| 75th | $160,950 | $156,700 | +2.7% |
| 90th | $180,300 | $174,420 | +3.4% |
Nurse practitioner pay by metro area
BLS published NP pay for one District of Columbia metro area. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,050 | $134,840 | $119,660 to $158,660 |
How NP pay compares with other clinicians in District of Columbia
| Occupation | District of Columbia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | $135,880 | $132,300 |
| Physician assistant | $135,140 | $135,880 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | not published | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $102,540 | $97,550 |
The District of Columbia NP workforce
BLS counts 680 nurse practitioners on District of Columbia payrolls, or 0.97 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, less concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 1,578 nurse practitioners with a District of Columbia practice address, and 63 new NP NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $125,490, it sits in the bottom quarter of what District of Columbia nurse practitioners earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $160,950, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about NP pay in District of Columbia
How much does a NP make in District of Columbia?
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in District of Columbia was $135,880 in May 2025, and the mean was $146,470, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $125,490 and $160,950.
What is the hourly rate for nurse practitioners in District of Columbia?
The median hourly wage was $65.33 and the mean was $70.42. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
How does District of Columbia rank for NP pay?
District of Columbia ranks 14th of 51 states (including DC) by median NP pay, 3% above the national median of $132,300. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many nurse practitioners work in District of Columbia?
BLS estimated 680 nurse practitioners employed in District of Columbia in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 1,578 with a District of Columbia practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1171, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
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