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Critical Care Nurses Salary in Washington, DC

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Critical Care Nurses in Washington, DC have a median annual salary of $102,710, with 46,830 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $80,750 at the 10th percentile to $132,900 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$102,710

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$49.38

Employment

46,830

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$80,750
10th
$84,610
25th
$102,710
Median
$119,620
75th
$132,900
90th

Local compared with national

Washington, DC

$102,710

Median annual · 2025

United States

$97,550

Median annual · 2025

The Washington, DC median is 5.3% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $5,160).

Top skills

  1. 1.MonitoringImportance 4.1
  2. 2.Reading ComprehensionImportance 4.0
  3. 3.Active ListeningImportance 4.0
  4. 4.SpeakingImportance 4.0
  5. 5.Critical ThinkingImportance 4.0
  6. 6.Social PerceptivenessImportance 4.0
  7. 7.Service OrientationImportance 4.0
  8. 8.Active LearningImportance 3.9
  9. 9.CoordinationImportance 3.9
  10. 10.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 3.9
  11. 11.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.9
  12. 12.WritingImportance 3.4

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
None
Job zone
4

Technology used

  • Allscripts Professional EHR
  • American Association of Critical Care Nurses AACN Medicopeia
  • Amkai AmkaiCharts
  • Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
  • Cerner Millennium
  • ChartWare EMR
  • e-MDs software
  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • Epic Systems
  • GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
  • Google Drive
  • MEDITECH Healthcare Information System HCIS
  • MEDITECH software
  • Medscribbler Enterprise
  • MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR

Common tasks

  • Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
  • Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
  • Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
  • Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
  • Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.
  • Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests.
  • Conduct pulmonary assessments to identify abnormal respiratory patterns or breathing sounds that indicate problems.
  • Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.
  • Collaborate with other health care professionals to develop and revise treatment plans, based on identified needs and assessment data.
  • Document patients' medical histories and assessment findings.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Critical Care Nurses salary in other locations

Other occupations in Washington, DC