Nearby state medians for NP work
The geographic comparison for District of Columbia is separate from its rank neighbors: these jurisdictions share land or river borders.
| Bordering jurisdiction | Annual median |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $131,110 |
| Virginia | $127,810 |
Among the displayed bordering jurisdictions, Maryland has the highest listed median, $131,110; Virginia has the lowest, $127,810. District of Columbia itself records $135,880.
Only bordering jurisdictions with an existing page and a usable median are displayed. Land and river borders count; open-water-only borders and corner-only contacts do not. These statewide estimates do not isolate a border town, commuting distance, local employer or specialty. Follow each state link for the original wage snapshot and its precision measures.
District of Columbia: turn the board note into offer questions
DC Health distinguishes an initial or endorsement APRN application from adding APRN authority to an existing RN license or applying for RN and APRN together. It also separates reactivation from reinstatement and links the nurse-practitioner regulations apart from other APRN roles. Match the route to your current RN record and license history, then check the NP authorization and clinic requirements rather than treating every returning clinician as a new applicant.
District of Columbia official NP practice or licensing resource
- Begin the offer conversation with the state board process described here and ask what evidence shows it is complete.
- Confirm that your intended duties and facility privileges fit the required practice arrangement.
- Separate an accepted offer from cleared onboarding: ask what remains, who handles it and which work is paid.
This note retains the state-specific information already cited on this NP page. It does not infer additional practice authority, compact eligibility, approvals or a completion date. The wage comparison and the board process answer different questions.
Median position and nearby ranks
The $135,880 NP median puts District of Columbia at rank 14 of 51 jurisdictions (50 states and DC) in this comparison.
Rank is one plus the number of published state medians higher than this median; tied values share a rank. Missing state estimates are excluded. This orders employee-wage midpoints, not job quality, purchasing power or the pay offered to a particular clinician.
The median comparison with the national BLS OEWS May 2025 NP median ($132,300) gives a $3,580 gap: District of Columbia is above by 2.71%.
Calculation: $135,880 minus $132,300 = $3,580; divide the absolute dollar difference by $132,300 and multiply by 100 for 2.71%.
The closest positions in the descending state list are shown below; at either end, both comparators are on the same side. These are rank neighbors, not necessarily geographic neighbors.
The median comparison with Rhode Island (rank 13) ($135,970) gives a $90 gap: District of Columbia is below by 0.07%.
Calculation: $135,880 minus $135,970 = -$90; divide the absolute dollar difference by $135,970 and multiply by 100 for 0.07%.
The median comparison with Hawaii (rank 15) ($135,570) gives a $310 gap: District of Columbia is above by 0.23%.
Calculation: $135,880 minus $135,570 = $310; divide the absolute dollar difference by $135,570 and multiply by 100 for 0.23%.
Source: the existing national NP guide and the linked state tables reproduce BLS OEWS May 2025 employee-wage estimates. Compare median with median; the national mean already discussed on this page remains a different statistic.
District of Columbia benchmarks by occupation
District of Columbia: physicians, all other — broad BLS category · District of Columbia: nurse practitioner pay — median $135,880 · District of Columbia: physician assistant pay — median $135,140
These links hold geography constant while changing the occupation. The NP estimate on this page is not an interchangeable benchmark for another role. The physician link uses “physicians, all other,” a broad BLS category rather than a particular specialty average. Compare each published measure on its own terms; a difference between roles does not explain why employers pay differently.
The published wage benchmark
BLS reports an annual mean wage of $146,470 and annual median wage of $135,880 for nurse practitioners in District of Columbia. The hourly mean is $70.42; the hourly median is $65.33. These are employee wage estimates, not quoted contract rates. Employment estimate: 680. That is an estimated job count, not open jobs or a count of available clinicians.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS area data
National comparison
The national mean for this occupation is $137,300. Compare it as a separate national benchmark, not a prediction of your offer.
What the District of Columbia numbers mean for a NP offer
District of Columbia reports a mean annual employee wage of $146,470 and a median of $135,880 for nurse practitioners. The employment estimate is 680 employee jobs, not current vacancies. The wage relative standard error is 1.2%. RSE describes estimate precision, not the spread between individual offers. Mean and median are different measures, not the ends of a salary range. These are employee wage estimates, not offers or total compensation. District of Columbia's NP annual mean is $9,170 above the published national NP mean of $137,300, a 6.7% difference between employee-wage estimates. Its mean is $10,590 above its median.
NP practice and first-shift checks in District of Columbia
DC Health distinguishes an initial or endorsement APRN application from adding APRN authority to an existing RN license or applying for RN and APRN together. It also separates reactivation from reinstatement and links the nurse-practitioner regulations apart from other APRN roles. Match the route to your current RN record and license history, then check the NP authorization and clinic requirements rather than treating every returning clinician as a new applicant.
- Confirm that the written duties fit your experience, practice arrangement and facility privileges.
- Identify the owner of each remaining board, credentialing and orientation step.
- Compare the actual paid schedule, expenses and coverage, not an assumed local market range.
District of Columbia official NP practice or licensing resource
What this data does and does not measure
OEWS includes full-time and part-time employees and does not include self-employed workers. Annual wage estimates generally use a 2,080-hour year; do not treat them as a part-time worker's actual yearly earnings. The mean is the average; the median is the midpoint. BLS publishes each rounded estimate separately, so use the published values rather than multiplying a rounded hourly wage. The occupation-level table does not provide a pay split for telemedicine, locum tenens, per diem or consulting. BLS uses the occupation name "Nurse Practitioners" (SOC 29-1171). It does not separate this row by population certification or NP specialty.
Sources: BLS OEWS frequently asked questions
How precise is the estimate?
Employment relative standard error: 7.9%. Wage relative standard error: 1.2%. RSE measures estimate precision; a smaller RSE means a more precise survey estimate.
Pay is one part of the job
Ask what work is included, who owns onboarding and what has to clear before the first shift. Keep your licenses and credentials current in one Saile profile, then check the app for relevant work.
Turn a salary benchmark into a useful offer comparison
Start with the published mean and median above, then compare the actual work rather than treating a wage estimate as a guaranteed offer. For NP work, ask about population focus, patient acuity, visit volume, prescribing duties, clinical backup and the practice settings covered. A wage category does not determine your scope or readiness.
- Write down the patient scope, paid schedule, nights and call you are agreeing to cover.
- Ask which orientation, charting, messages, travel and administrative tasks are paid.
- Compare benefits, expenses, malpractice coverage, cancellation and exit terms beside the pay unit.
- Get the remaining licensing, privileges, orientation and system-access steps and their owners before committing a first shift.
Where to look and what to ask next
Check direct facility career pages and the Saile app for current opportunities. Search your role with the setting and schedule you want, such as temporary coverage, per diem or part-time. A published salary estimate is not evidence of a live vacancy. Ask the hiring team for the actual scope, dates and written terms before reserving your time.
Employee wages are not contractor take-home pay
The BLS figure excludes self-employed workers. For federal employment taxes, the IRS considers control and the relationship, not only the contract label. Self-employed individuals generally pay income and self-employment tax and may need estimated payments. Keep payment and expense records and take your actual arrangement to a tax professional; do not subtract a generic percentage and call it take-home pay.
Sources: IRS: Independent contractor or employee · IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
Compare the work, not just the benchmark
Locum tenens
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Telemedicine
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Per diem / PRN
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Consulting / project work
No work-type rate is available from this occupation-level BLS source. Compare verified written terms.
Salary questions
What is the average nurse practitioner salary in District of Columbia?
The BLS May 2025 annual mean employee wage is $146,470. The annual median is $135,880. Mean and median measure different things.
Is this a locum, telemedicine or per-diem rate?
No. It is an occupation-level employee wage estimate. This source does not isolate those work types or self-employed contractor earnings.
Does the annual number show what a part-time clinician earns?
No. The annualized benchmark generally assumes 2,080 hours. Actual part-time annual earnings depend on paid hours and the specific agreement.
How current are these numbers?
The data period is May 2025, published May 15, 2026. A 2026 page date does not mean these are 2026 wages.
How should I compare a job offer?
Put the schedule and clinical duties beside pay, benefits, coverage, expenses and unpaid work. Use the BLS figure as a benchmark, not a promised offer.
Sources
- BLS May 2025 OEWS area data
- BLS OEWS frequently asked questions
- IRS: Independent contractor or employee
- IRS: Self-employed individuals tax center
- District of Columbia official NP practice or licensing resource
Data period: May 2025. Published May 15, 2026.