Net Income
#19
of 124 cities
$96,187/yr
Current value
#47 of 124
North America
Washington, DC
DC, United States
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Washington, DC compare to Dubai?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Washington, DC is 11% worse off vs in Dubai
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Washington, DC compared to Dubai, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$96,187
+$15K (+18%) vs Dubai
Tax Rate: 36%
Community Insights
NewWashington, DC offers a unique value proposition for software engineers: high stability and high pay in exchange for working on less "flashy" technology. While the median salary is impressive ($152k), the city's tech culture is dominated by government contracting (GovTech) and defense, which insulates workers from layoffs but often requires security clearances.
The lifestyle is a major draw for those who prefer urban walkability and public transit over the car-centric sprawl of Silicon Valley. However, prospective movers must weigh the benefits of a vibrant cultural scene (museums, history) against a high cost of living, relatively high crime rates, and a tech sector that lacks the startup energy of the West Coast.
Resident Sentiment
Residents generally appreciate the high quality of life afforded by the city's amenities, parks, and walkability. There is a sense of pride in the city's intellectual atmosphere, where conversations often revolve around policy and global impact.
However, a common frustration among transplants is the insularity of the job market (clearance vs. non-clearance) and the rising cost of living outpacing the "fun" aspects of the city. Many tech workers eventually move to the Northern Virginia suburbs (NoVA) to trade urban grit for better schools, lower crime, and proximity to tech hubs like Tysons Corner and Arlington.
Rankings
Top 15%
Community Events
#27
of 124 cities
8 events on luma
Current value
Home Affordability
#34
of 124 cities
≈5.2 yrs to buy 80m²
Current value
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Washington, DC compared to Dubai?
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Washington, DC to maintain the same standard of living.
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