Registered Nurse Salary in District Of Columbia (2026)
The average Registered Nurse in District Of Columbia earns around $86,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $64,990/year ($5,416/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $64,990 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $5,416 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $2,500 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $31/hr |
Federal Tax | $10,090 |
State Tax | $4,342 |
FICA Taxes | $6,579 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 24.43% |
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Registered Nurse Salary Ranges in District Of Columbia
Not all Registered Nurses earn the same — not even close
DC's nurse market is anchored by MedStar Washington Hospital Center (the only DC Level 1 trauma + ~900+ beds + ~5K+ MedStar Washington nurses + the substantial MedStar Health system multi-hospital), Children's National Hospital (the substantial Children's National ~325+ beds + the substantial pediatric specialty nursing as one of country's premier US children's hospitals), George Washington University Hospital + Howard University Hospital HBCU + Sibley Memorial Johns Hopkins + MedStar Georgetown University Hospital + the substantial DC academic medical center nursing cluster, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda MD cross-border + NIH Clinical Center cross-border + Providence Hospital DC + United Medical Center SE DC (closed 2022 + replaced by Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center post-2025 opening), George Washington University School of Nursing + Howard University Division of Nursing + Catholic University Conway School of Nursing + Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies + American University + the substantial DC nursing pipeline + the substantial post-2020 DC nurse shortage, plus DC Nurses Association + AFGE National Council 220 federal nurses + the substantial DC nurse collective bargaining.
Sr CRNA (MedStar / GW / Howard / Sibley)
$225,000–$325,000+ OT
CRNA at MedStar + Children + GW + Howard + Sibley + Georgetown · OR + L&D
Sr ICU / Critical Care RN
$98,000–$148,000+ OT
ICU at MedStar + Children + GW + Sibley · post-2020 DC ICU demand
Sr ED / Trauma RN (MedStar Level 1)
$98,000–$148,000+ OT
ED at MedStar Washington Level 1 + Children + GW + Howard + Sibley
Sr OR / Periop RN
$108,000–$165,000+ OT
OR at DC major systems · CNOR · post-2020 substantial demand
Sr L&D / OB RN
$98,000–$148,000+ OT
L&D at MedStar + Children + GW + Howard + Sibley + Georgetown
Sr Cath Lab / IR RN
$108,000–$162,000+ OT
Cath + IR at MedStar Heart + GW + Sibley · TAVR + EP + structural
Sr Travel RN (Washington DC)
$118,000–$195,000+ OT
Travel RN · post-2020 DC travel premium + crisis rates + the substantial
Sr Federal Nurse (Walter Reed / NIH / VA)
$95,000–$148,000+ GS-12/13
Walter Reed + NIH Clinical Center + VA · federal GS / VA pay band
Sr Med-Surg / Telemetry RN
$88,000–$132,000+ OT
Med-surg + tele at DC major systems · post-2020 substantial demand
Sr Clinical Nurse Specialist / Nurse Manager
$118,000–$178,000+ bonus
CNS + NM at MedStar + Children + GW + Howard · charge + unit lead
New Grad RN (BSN / ADN)
$78,000–$98,000+ OT
DC new grad · GW + Howard + Catholic + Georgetown Nursing pipeline
Worth knowing: MedStar Washington Hospital Center Level 1 trauma + Children's National Hospital + DC academic medical center cluster (GW + Howard + Catholic + Georgetown) + Walter Reed Bethesda cross-border + post-2020 DC nurse shortage + DC travel RN premium tetra-anchor is one of the country's distinctive concentrated US single-state Level 1 trauma + heritage pediatric + multi-academic medical center + federal nurse + travel RN premium nurse cluster and a feature most national nurse surveys understate for DC. MedStar Washington Hospital Center (the only DC Level 1 trauma + ~900+ beds + ~5K+ MedStar Washington nurses + the substantial MedStar Health system multi-hospital). Children's National Hospital (the substantial Children's National ~325+ beds + the substantial pediatric specialty nursing). George Washington University Hospital + Howard University Hospital HBCU + Sibley Memorial Johns Hopkins + MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda MD cross-border + NIH Clinical Center. GW School of Nursing + Howard Division of Nursing + Catholic Conway School of Nursing + Georgetown School of Nursing & Health Studies + AU. DC Nurses Association + AFGE National Council 220 federal nurses. post-2020 DC nurse shortage (the substantial DC nurse deficit + the substantial DC travel RN crisis-period premiums $140-205K+). The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies through 2028. DC NOT a RTW state + DC NLC since 2024 + DC progressive top 10.75% anchor the DC nurse proposition.
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More on District Of Columbia
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for District Of Columbia in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for District Of Columbia in 2026.
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