Top paying jobs in Washington D.C.

Hard to believe that was so long ago. You saw him there with Kelly Clarkson as well. Well, salaries in D.C. reportedly expected to rise next year, but some specialized jobs are projected to see bigger gains than others. So which roles are paying the most and what skills are employers willing to pay extra for? Joining us this morning with some insight is hiring and consulting expert Trey Barnett, regional vice president of Robert Half in D.C. Glad to have you here with us. Thanks for having me. So let's talk a little bit about some of those jobs that are those roles that are going to pay the most when it comes to the D.C. region and what folks are expecting there? Yeah, I mean, it's an exciting time in D.C. right now. We found out from our survey that more than usual, employers right now are starting to have people come out and work higher salaries right now. Why is that? I think it's just a big boom. I think you have a good crop of candidates that are in this area, but there are very high demanding positions that need specialization and our city just has a lot of people that specialize in those yeah those specializations those skills uh that maybe if somebody's at home they are looking for a job what should they be focusing on primarily when it comes to things that are going to make them stand out compared to the uh the grand scheme of things yeah i think there's three big things number one build relevant skills that includes ai skills and you know currently we're seeing that people who are going through some type of training and they can upskill their resume is going to be paramount. Number two, showcase ROI, demonstrate your impact with your measurable skills. Also the soft skills that you might have like communication, leadership, and critical thinking. And last but not least, know your worth. We have a 2027 salary guide that comes out from Robert Half that gives all of the information about the market if you're in a entry-level mid-range or senior-level range. Interesting. I wanted to bring up the AI point that you mentioned and trying to find what skills may be in that happy medium for when you're applying to whatever job. Are you seeing a lot of people trying to find where they can find those ways to get in get their hand into the job market? Yeah, for sure. So with AI, we found out that 81% in DC of managers are increasing pay for relevant AI skills. And we're finding that seven out of 10 people in DC that are job seekers are taking the time it needs to learn the AI skills. Interesting. Okay. So, and we're talking more than just entering something into chat GPT, but using those AI skills to benefit whatever it is, the field that you're approaching. So what are some of the top paying jobs, if you will, in the D.C. region? Are we talking what you would expect? You know, maybe somebody on Capitol Hill, maybe a lawyer, doctors in the region. Or is there anything that maybe stands out that you wouldn't necessarily think of? Yeah, I would say that the top industries we're seeing definitely are finance and accounting. There's still a need for that within companies. The law side of things, I know there's a survey that came out that one out of every three people in D.C. have a JD. So that's still paramount right there. Also, I.T. I.T. is booming, but also to the front line, administrative positions, operations, customer support positions. And last but not least, marketing and creative. Right. Those positions where they are the branding side of companies and building out that side of what companies want to show. You know, I got to ask, you know, with the way that inflation is affecting many folks across the region, we're seeing and having this conversation about top paying jobs in the D.C. region. But how does that play into effect when we look at the rise of the cost of living in today's day and age? Yeah, I mean, it's a thin line, right? I mean, you've got to make sure you're doing the balancing act where when you're going to companies and you're looking for compensation packages, it's not just only the pay that also comes into play, especially with inflation. Parking is high in D.C. You have situations where people are driving with gas, also metro. So companies can be more a little incentive and inviting with having maybe a balance with a remote option, a hybrid option. That could be a way to draw in some good job seekers. Are you seeing some of that with the incentivizing when it comes to offering remote versus, you know, in studio? I say in studio for us here, you know, at the actual office or, you know, like you mentioned, Metro helping to cover the cost to get to and from work. Or what are you seeing when it comes to these employers offering benefits to the employees to try to get them to come in? Yeah, employers are getting very creative, creating some benefit where it would be either a hybrid schedule or fully remote based off of whatever position that the person is going to be working in. But then also, too, outside of that, the package of commuter benefits, making sure that you have something that is pre-tax in there that you can apply to metro or to parking and things of that nature. I think the last but not least thing is choice time off or any type of that. There are some companies that are doing unlimited choice time off. So then that balances out where a person can take some time off and think about it, their own vacation or doing a staycation. And they're not using, you know, they're not commuting to work, so they're not using any of their salary to go to work those weeks. Very interesting. Thanks so much, Trey, for giving us a breakdown of what the job market looks like here in the D.C. region as you guys continue on with your survey. Thanks so much. There's where you can find more information from the company there, Robert Half, as well as their website, roberthalf.com. Makia? All right. Some good information. Thanks, Jack.