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1 / 50#50. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $75,250
- Median hourly wage: $36.18
- Total employment: 17,710 people (5.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Washington, D.C.
What do we mean when we talk about computer and engineering jobs? Well, that depends. These positions encompass various roles dedicated to new technology development and maintenance. Take software developers, who create and oversee computer programs, versus mechanical engineers, who design and build physical products, tools, and systems. However different these careers may be, though, they do have a few things in common: bachelor's degree requirements, a focus on analytical thinking, and the allure of a steady paycheck, particularly for recent college graduates.
First, the bad news—ongoing technological advancements have massively impacted these industries. As the use of artificial intelligence has exploded in the technology sector, finding an entry-level job has become increasingly difficult. LinkedIn Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman noted in a May 2025 op-ed for The New York Times that artificial intelligence is decimating the "bottom rung of the career ladder" in technology, while a May 2025 report from SignalFire found that the hiring of new grads at the nation's 15 largest tech companies has dropped by more than 50% since 2019.
Yet, while the situation may seem dire, it's not all doom and gloom for computer and engineering jobs. Although these positions may be more selective than they once were, many pay far more than the country's 2024 median wages of $49,500. Those in computer and information technology occupations can expect to make a median salary of $105,990 as of 2024, while engineers earn median wages of more than $97,000.
Employment in these fields is also expected to grow at a healthy rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an average of 356,700 new computer job openings yearly through 2033, and 195,000 new engineering job openings in the same period. Furthermore, growing interest in sustainable infrastructure and construction techniques could lead to exciting opportunities for engineers.
Though it's difficult to predict the exact future of computer and engineering jobs, those interested in these fields can at least consider one important aspect: salary. Stacker used BLS data to find the highest-paying computer and engineering jobs Washington, D.C.. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: Not available
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3 / 50#48. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.52
- Total employment: 180 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $77,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.04
- Total employment: 1,710 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 260 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $77,740
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: Not available
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7 / 50#44. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.63
- Total employment: 370 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 230 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $83,270
- Median hourly wage: $40.04
- Total employment: 2,610 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $86,730
- Median hourly wage: $41.70
- Total employment: 6,070 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Landscape architects
- Median annual wage: $86,840
- Median hourly wage: $41.75
- Total employment: 680 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $89,060
- Median hourly wage: $42.82
- Total employment: 770 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $91,350
- Median hourly wage: $43.92
- Total employment: 1,870 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Francesco Scatena // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cartographers and photogrammetrists
- Median annual wage: $96,270
- Median hourly wage: $46.29
- Total employment: 690 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $97,580
- Median hourly wage: $46.91
- Total employment: 200 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,370
- Median hourly wage: $48.26
- Total employment: 8,280 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erickson Stock // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Mathematical science occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $100,740
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 270 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $103,580
- Median hourly wage: $49.80
- Total employment: 4,090 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $106,120
- Median hourly wage: $51.02
- Total employment: 3,080 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,580
- Median hourly wage: $51.72
- Total employment: 1,460 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,310
- Median hourly wage: $52.07
- Total employment: 570 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $110,110
- Median hourly wage: $52.94
- Total employment: 1,750 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $121,060
- Median hourly wage: $58.20
- Total employment: 5,080 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $124,050
- Median hourly wage: $59.64
- Total employment: 11,280 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $124,090
- Median hourly wage: $59.66
- Total employment: 7,610 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $124,160
- Median hourly wage: $59.69
- Total employment: 3,470 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,240
- Median hourly wage: $60.21
- Total employment: 930 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $126,040
- Median hourly wage: $60.60
- Total employment: 3,620 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $126,170
- Median hourly wage: $60.66
- Total employment: 17,720 people (5.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $126,430
- Median hourly wage: $60.79
- Total employment: 8,740 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $128,260
- Median hourly wage: $61.66
- Total employment: 350 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,040
- Median hourly wage: $62.04
- Total employment: 870 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $133,240
- Median hourly wage: $64.06
- Total employment: 3,490 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $135,190
- Median hourly wage: $65.00
- Total employment: 8,530 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $135,400
- Median hourly wage: $65.09
- Total employment: 760 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $136,820
- Median hourly wage: $65.78
- Total employment: 3,660 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $137,610
- Median hourly wage: $66.16
- Total employment: 690 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $138,410
- Median hourly wage: $66.54
- Total employment: 15,870 people (5.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $144,040
- Median hourly wage: $69.25
- Total employment: 35,080 people (11.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $145,480
- Median hourly wage: $69.94
- Total employment: 2,320 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $150,880
- Median hourly wage: $72.54
- Total employment: 68,210 people (21.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $153,340
- Median hourly wage: $73.72
- Total employment: 2,060 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $156,360
- Median hourly wage: $75.17
- Total employment: 3,150 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $157,980
- Median hourly wage: $75.95
- Total employment: 2,750 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kardasov Films // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Marine engineers and naval architects
- Median annual wage: $160,100
- Median hourly wage: $76.97
- Total employment: 640 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Mathematicians
- Median annual wage: $160,510
- Median hourly wage: $77.17
- Total employment: 220 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $162,610
- Median hourly wage: $78.18
- Total employment: 7,950 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $163,570
- Median hourly wage: $78.64
- Total employment: 8,910 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MinskDesign // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $188,120
- Median hourly wage: $90.44
- Total employment: 6,710 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $189,770
- Median hourly wage: $91.24
- Total employment: 300 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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