How Much Does a Programming Engineer Make in Washington, DC ? (2026 Salary Guide)

Programming Engineer Salary in Washington, DC

As of March 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Programming Engineer in Washington, DC is $157,350, equivalent to $76 per hour, $3,026 weekly, or $13,113 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Programming Engineer in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Programming Engineer in Washington, DC vary widely, spanning from $133,421 to $183,020. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($144,825) and 75th percentile ($170,787), while top earners (90th percentile) make $183,020 per year. This $25,962 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Analysis or Software Development, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, Washington Programming Engineer often earn 0.0% higher than national averages. However, Washington currently ranks 84 statewide for Programming Engineer job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

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Programming Engineer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Programming Engineer Salary $133,421 Washington, DC March 01, 2026
25th Percentile Programming Engineer Salary $144,825 Washington, DC March 01, 2026
50th Percentile Programming Engineer Salary $157,350 Washington, DC March 01, 2026
75th Percentile Programming Engineer Salary $170,787 Washington, DC March 01, 2026
90th Percentile Programming Engineer Salary $183,020 Washington, DC March 01, 2026
25% $144,825 10% $133,421 90% $183,020 75% $170,787 $157,350 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Programming Engineer ?

Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build, and test machines, systems, structures and materials to fulfill objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost. The word engineer (Latin ingeniator) is derived from the Latin words ingeniare ("to create, generate, contrive, devise") and ingenium ("cleverness"). The foundational qualifications of an engineer typically include a four-year bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, or in some jurisdictions, a master's degree in...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Job Openings for Programming Engineer in Washington, DC

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    Software Engineer II

    2 - 4 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    Programming Engineer

    4 - 7 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  3. Up a level:

    Software Engineer IV

    7 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

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Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Programming Engineer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
144825
170787
157350

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
157591
193323
174589
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Programming Engineer in Washington, DC. The base salary for Programming Engineer ranges from $144,825 to $170,787 with the average base salary of $157,350. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $157,591 to $193,323 with the average total cash compensation of $174,589.

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144825
170787

 

About Washington, District of Columbia    Washington, D.C. is located in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. East Coast. Due to the District of Columbia retrocession, the city has a total area....More

Washington, District of Columbia  area prices were up 1.3% from a year ago

Programming Engineer Salary in popular cities:

Skills associated with Programming Engineer: Design, Machining

Recently searched related titles: Application Software Engineer, Controls Software Engineer, Delivery Software Engineer

Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role

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