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Hire a Registered Nurse in Washington, DC
One chair is the whole req. Do not set the wage from a national midpoint. Experienced nurses in this metro are already clearing the 75th, and the median is the wrong anchor if you need them on week one. The 75th percentile in Washington is about $119.6K.
What to offer
Price the offer from this metro's row, not from a national midpoint you pasted into the posting. The 75th is what experienced nurses already clear here. If you need someone who can take patients on week one, the median is the wrong anchor.
| Percentile | Metro | DC | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $84,610 | $85,850 | $80,330 |
| Median | $102,710 | $102,540 | $97,550 |
| 75th | $119,620 | $127,800 | $112,350 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
How hard this is to fill
For one manager
You are filling one chair in one clinic, one home-health team, or one nursing home. Ask for a license in this state, or a multistate license where the compact is actually on, and ask what they did on a shift like yours.
Look for a license in good standing, the setting they just left, and whether they have given the medications your patients actually take. Say out loud if you want a bachelor's degree. The degree does not replace the license.
License and training
A Maryland or Virginia multistate license does not work in the District of Columbia, which is outside the compact. Renewal responses listed HIV/AIDS and practice-area hours, inside a 21-to-30 range.
Sources: Nurse Licensure Compact, participating jurisdictions and the 60-day move rule NLC implementation dates by jurisdiction NCSBN 2024 licensure survey, continued competency questions 95 through 103 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, registered nurses, duties and licensure path New York State Education Department, BSN in 10 law North Dakota Board of Nursing, licensure by examination and the 90-day graduate work authorization
Nearby metros
- Baltimore, MD · 35 miles
- Lexington Park, MD · 55 miles
- Hagerstown, MD · 63 miles
- Gettysburg, PA · 65 miles
Related roles
- Hire a CNA in Washington
- Hire a Medical Assistant in Washington
- Hire a Pharmacy Technician in Washington
- Hire a Phlebotomist in Washington
Job seekers: Registered Nurse jobs in Washington.
Registered Nurses hiring pages Hiring difficulty for Registered Nurses in Washington
Questions
What do registered nurses earn in Washington, DC?
In Washington, the May 2025 median is about $102.7K, 5% over the U.S. median. The state's own median is about $102.5K. Read the 25th and the 75th on the table before you treat the middle as the offer.
Who hires registered nurses in Washington?
That list is the provider extract, not every door in Washington. A one-site clinic is still hiring against the hospital's schedule.
What license do I need to work in District of Columbia?
You need a District of Columbia license, or a multistate license if District of Columbia has implemented the compact and that license is your home-state license. The state section on this page is the sourced rule. Confirm it with the board before you book a start date in Washington.
Should a small clinic in Washington offer the median?
Offer the median when you want the middle of the Washington workforce and you can train. If you need someone who already carries a full assignment, look at $119.6K, the 75th on this page. National growth for registered nurses is 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 180.8 thousand openings a year, and that figure is the country, not Washington.