PACU Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse salary in District of Columbia
In District of Columbia, operating room nurses earn more — an estimated $118,000 a year versus $115,810 for pacu nurses, a gap of about $2,190 (roughly 2% more). Both are estimates based on national pay for each role adjusted for District of Columbia.
PACU Nurse — District of Columbia
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$115,810
+12% vs nationalHourly
$55.68/hr
- Typical range
- $95,370–$133,380
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $163,200
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $81,850
- Newer nurses
Operating Room Nurse — District of Columbia
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$118,000
+12% vs nationalHourly
$56.73/hr
- Typical range
- $97,170–$135,900
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $166,280
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $83,390
- Newer nurses
Why the gap in District of Columbia
PACU (post-anesthesia) and OR nurse pay is close, since both are perioperative RN roles on the same wage base. OR nursing carries surgical-case and call demands; PACU focuses on recovery and airway monitoring. Certifications, call coverage, and the local market drive the small differences. The District of Columbia figures apply the same local pay adjustment to both roles, so the gap here mirrors the national picture, shifted for District of Columbia's cost of labor. Actual pay varies with experience, specialty, shift, and employer — compare the national PACU Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse comparison or personalize the calculator.
PACU Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse in District of Columbia — FAQ
- Do pacu nurses or operating room nurses earn more in District of Columbia?
- In District of Columbia, operating room nurses earn more — an estimated $118,000 a year versus $115,810 for pacu nurses, a gap of about $2,190 (roughly 2% more). Both are estimates based on national pay for each role adjusted for District of Columbia's local pay level.
- How much is the pacu nurse vs operating room nurse pay gap in District of Columbia?
- The estimated gap in District of Columbia is about $2,190 a year, or roughly 2% more for operating room nurses. Your actual pay depends on experience, specialty, shift, and employer — use the calculator to compare both for your situation.
- Are these District of Columbia figures exact?
- No — they're modeled estimates, not verified District of Columbia wages. They start from each role's national pay and adjust for District of Columbia's cost of labor, and they update to verified numbers when official state data is loaded.
- Why are some figures verified and others estimates?
- National pay for the main nursing roles — registered nurses, LPNs/LVNs, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and nursing assistants — comes from verified public wage data. State, city, and specialty figures that aren't reported on their own start from that national pay and are labeled "Estimated" or "Specialty estimate." We never show an estimate as a verified figure.
Source & confidence— An estimate for a specialty that public pay data does not list on its own. A ballpark to start from, not an exact figure.
Modeled estimate (BLS national × state wage index)
District of Columbia figures are estimated by adjusting the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS national median for local pay levels (a state adjustment of 1.12×).
Source year 2025. Last reviewed July 3, 2026. Full methodology
Estimated figures for District of Columbia. Last reviewed July 3, 2026.