Career Atlas USA

Careers in District of Columbia

District of Columbia’s regional price level is above the national average (index 109.901, where 100 = U.S. average, 2024 BEA data).

Unemployment rate: 5.9% · Labor force participation: 71% · 382,660 people employed (2026-07, BLS LAUS, not seasonally adjusted).

Highest-Paying Careers

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  1. 1Neurologists$332,000
  2. 2Emergency Medicine Physicians$318,200
  3. 3Podiatrists$265,740
  4. 4Family Medicine Physicians$233,390
  5. 5General Internal Medicine Physicians$223,250

Largest Occupations

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  1. 1Business Operations Specialists, All Other37,790 employed
  2. 2General and Operations Managers36,150 employed
  3. 3Lawyers33,070 employed
  4. 4Management Analysts19,000 employed
  5. 5Managers, All Other18,570 employed

Highest Concentration

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  1. 1Political Scientists122.81× national avg
  2. 2Economists37.34× national avg
  3. 3Public Relations Managers21.92× national avg
  4. 4Historians16.30× national avg
  5. 5Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other14.81× national avg

Best Purchasing Power

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cost-of-living adjusted

  1. 1Neurologists$302,090
  2. 2Emergency Medicine Physicians$289,533
  3. 3Podiatrists$241,799
  4. 4Family Medicine Physicians$212,364
  5. 5General Internal Medicine Physicians$203,137

Strongest Opportunity Score

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  1. 1Computer Occupations, All Other98.8 / 100
  2. 2Public Relations Specialists98.8 / 100
  3. 3Museum Technicians and Conservators97.7 / 100
  4. 4Lawyers97.7 / 100
  5. 5Budget Analysts97 / 100

Sources

Wage and employment data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities. Unemployment rate: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Opportunity Score is a Career Atlas USA calculation — see methodology.