Software Developers salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Software Developers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 District of Columbia tax rules.
The figures
The median Software Developers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $154,930 a year ($74.49 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $123,720 and $176,230 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $96,450 or less and the top 10 percent earn $213,660 or more. BLS estimates 69,060 Software Developers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 22.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 2.03 (well above the national concentration). That is 4.1% of all Software Developers employment in the United States (1,687,890 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #3 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Software Developers. In aggregate, Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $10.57 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $105,771.68 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Software Developers is about $7.30 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.2% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #8 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Software Developers. By employment, Software Developers is the #3 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Software Developers, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $154,930 falls between the national median ($135,980) and the national 75th percentile ($171,980). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Software Developers pay is 118.0% above the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $73.61 | $153,100 |
| 10th percentile | $46.37 | $96,450 |
| 25th percentile | $59.48 | $123,720 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $74.49 | $154,930 |
| 75th percentile | $84.73 | $176,230 |
| 90th percentile | $102.72 | $213,660 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 2.2 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($213,660 against $96,450). The middle half spans $52,510 — from $123,720 to $176,230. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($102.72) is 2.22 times the 10th ($46.37). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $176,230 takes home $119,614.74 and the 90th percentile wage of $213,660 takes home $142,016.22 — $22,401.48 more net for $37,430 more gross. Against the median take-home of $106,866.40, the top decile keeps 1.33 times as much. The mean wage of $153,100 sits 1.2% below the median: the average is held down by the lower end of the distribution in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Among the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Software Developers ranks #2 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Software Developers sits between General and Operations Managers at $156,460 and Project Management Specialists at $127,030. Software Developers accounts for 2.2% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 36,902 Software Developers; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.9 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in District of Columbia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in District of Columbia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $154,930.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $25,917.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $9,605.66 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $2,246.49 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $10,294.05 |
| Total deductions | $48,063.60 |
| Net pay (annual) | $106,866.40 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $4,110.25 |
| Total deduction rate | 31.02% of gross |
At the median, $106,866.40 of the $154,930 gross is kept ($4,110.25 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 31.02%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 26.01% at the 10th percentile, 28.72% at the 25th percentile, 32.13% at the 75th percentile, 33.53% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $31,427.12 on a gross rise of $52,510.
The same engine at the other published points of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($96,450) | $71,359.22 | $2,744.59 | 26.01% |
| 25th percentile ($123,720) | $88,187.62 | $3,391.83 | 28.72% |
| Median ($154,930) | $106,866.40 | $4,110.25 | 31.02% |
| 75th percentile ($176,230) | $119,614.74 | $4,600.57 | 32.13% |
| 90th percentile ($213,660) | $142,016.22 | $5,462.16 | 33.53% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $71,359.22 a year at the 10th percentile to $142,016.22 at the 90th — a spread of $70,657.00 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median wage of $71,060 takes home $55,576.74 a year ($2,137.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 21.79%). The Software Developers median take-home of $106,866.40 sits $51,289.66 (above that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also covers parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. The take-home estimate above uses District of Columbia rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia paycheck calculators.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Software Developers earns $135,980 a year ($65.38 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $154,930 is $18,950 (13.9%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $153,100 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $148,100 nationally, a gap of $5,000 (3.4%).
Set against the whole local market, the Software Developers 90th percentile of $213,660 is 122% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $96,450 is 266% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $154,930 | $74.49 | $153,100 |
| United States | $135,980 | $65.38 | $148,100 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$154,930 a year ($74.49 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $153,100 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #8 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $154,930 in District of Columbia?
About $106,866.40 a year ($4,110.25 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 31.02% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $176,230, take-home is $119,614.74.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Software Developers?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $154,930 is $18,950 (13.9%) above the national median of $135,980 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $213,660, against a national 90th percentile of $214,670.
How much do the top 10% of Software Developers earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$213,660 a year or more ($102.72 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $213,660 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $142,016.22 a year ($5,462.16 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 33.53%.
How many Software Developers jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 69,060 Software Developers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 22.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Software Developers jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 2.03 — well above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $71,359.22 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($96,450) to $142,016.22 at the 90th ($213,660), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Software Developers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $10.57 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 69,060 multiplied by the mean wage of $153,100.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.