Occupational profile · 2025
District of Columbia
District of Columbia employs 701,920 people. The work it does most unusually is political scientists, at 122.8× the national concentration — 3,070 jobs paying a median of $152,530.
What District of Columbia is distinctive for
Detailed occupations ranked by location quotient. A location quotient is an occupation’s share of a state’s jobs divided by its share of the nation’s. One means the state looks like the country; two means twice the concentration. It is a measure of distinctiveness, not of quality, size or pay. Bars use a logarithmic scale so the lower ranks stay legible beside the leader.
- 1Political Scientists3,070 jobs · median $152,530122.8×
- 2Economists3,000 jobs · median $167,59037.3×
- 3Public Relations Managers7,410 jobs · median $197,60021.9×
- 4Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other2,480 jobs · median $128,44014.8×
- 5Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary1,120 jobs · median $102,31014.7×
- 6Concierges3,000 jobs · median $38,23013.5×
- 7Public Relations Specialists16,720 jobs · median $102,74013.1×
- 8Social Science Research Assistants1,560 jobs · median $65,33011.3×
- 9News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists1,720 jobs · median $105,3909.7×
- 10Lawyers33,070 jobs · median $195,1909.7×
- 11Computer Occupations, All Other17,200 jobs · median $156,5908.8×
- 12Legal Support Workers, All Other1,770 jobs · median $88,4808.4×
What District of Columbia is made of
All twenty-two occupational groups by headcount, with the concentration figure beside each. Most states look broadly alike in this view — that is the finding, not a flaw in it.
| Occupation group | Share of state employment | Jobs | vs national | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 110,570 | 2.32× | $109,990 | |
| Management Occupations | 105,590 | 2.10× | $169,990 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 56,970 | 0.92× | $44,390 | |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 53,960 | 0.67× | $60,660 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 43,050 | 1.81× | $133,010 | |
| Legal Occupations | 41,700 | 7.08× | $195,190 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 33,970 | 3.68× | $101,750 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 32,790 | 0.80× | $79,890 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 29,790 | 0.67× | $100,400 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 29,670 | 1.74× | $73,950 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 22,640 | 1.10× | $39,430 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 20,950 | 0.59× | $43,060 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 20,510 | 0.34× | $46,870 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 18,490 | 0.30× | $49,460 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 17,790 | 2.68× | $128,610 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 12,770 | 0.44× | $70,110 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 11,790 | 1.00× | $125,650 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 11,720 | 0.80× | $40,350 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 11,360 | 0.94× | $69,130 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 10,740 | 0.39× | $72,000 | |
| Production Occupations | 4,990 | 0.13× | $59,750 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 120 | 0.06× | $70,990 |
Elsewhere on District of Columbia
Blank cells are estimates BLS did not release, usually because too few employers reported. They are shown as gaps rather than filled. Detailed occupations are included only where at least 1,000 people are employed, below which a quotient is survey noise. A wage marked “$239,200 or more” is censored at source: BLS does not publish medians above that figure, so the number is a floor rather than the wage. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105). BLS OEWS ↗