Average Colorist Salary in Washington D.C., United States for 2025

In this article, we will look at the average Colorist salary for 2025 in Washington D.C. and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Colorist Make in Washington D.C.?

A Colorist working in Washington D.C. will typically earn around 46,200 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 24,400 USD to the highest average salary of 71,900 USD.

Average Annual Salary46,200 USD
Average Monthly Salary3,850 USD
Average Lowest Salary24,400 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary2,033 USD
Average Highest Salary71,900 USD
Highest Monthly Salary5,991 USD

These are average salaries for a Colorist in Washington D.C. and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Colorist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Colorist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Colorist Salaries in Washington D.C.

So we've looked at the average salaries a Colorist will earn in Washington D.C.. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Colorist can earn between 24,400 USD and 71,900 USD on average in Washington D.C.. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Colorist in Washington D.C. is 48,000 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 48,000 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 48,000 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Colorist salary in Washington D.C., 25% of the population are earning less than 31,700 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 31,700 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 62,300 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 62,300 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Colorist Salary by Experience Level in Washington D.C.

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Colorist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Colorist in Washington D.C. that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 27,300 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Colorist salary would increase to 38,700 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Colorist, the average salary would be 47,400 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 60,100 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Colorist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 66,000 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Colorist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 68,500 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
27,300 USD
2-5 Years+42%
38,700 USD
5-10 Years+31%
47,400 USD
10-15 Years+23%
60,100 USD
15-20 Years+6%
66,000 USD
20+ Years+10%
68,500 USD

Colorist Salary by Education Level in Washington D.C.

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Colorist in Washington D.C. based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Colorist in Washington D.C. with a high school education can earn an average salary of 33,600 USD.
  • Certificate or Diploma. A Colorist in Washington D.C. with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 48,600 USD.
  • Bachelor's Degree. A Colorist in Washington D.C. with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 64,600 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
33,600 USD
Certificate or Diploma+47%
48,600 USD
Bachelor's Degree+34%
64,600 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Colorist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Washington D.C., a male colorist will earn an average of 46,100 USD, while a female colorist will earn around 45,200 USD.

This means that a male colorist earns approximately 2% more than a female colorist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Washington D.C.

Male-
46,100 USD
Female-2%
45,200 USD

Colorist Average Pay Raise in Washington D.C.

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Colorist in Washington D.C. is around 11% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Colorist in Washington D.C. can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Washington D.C. for 2025

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
4%
Energy-
8%
Information Technology-
3%
Healthcare-
7%
Travel-
2%
Construction-
6%
Education-
1%

Colorist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Washington D.C.

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Colorist is a low bonus based job, with 27% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

73% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3%.

Received Bonus-
27%
No Bonus-
73%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
98,800 USD
Private Sector-6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Colorist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Colorist in Washington D.C..

Job TitleCategorySalary
3D ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment87,500 USD
3D DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment83,000 USD
3D GeneralistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment68,300 USD
3D Visualization SpecialistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment87,900 USD
Acrobatic RiggerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment57,900 USD
ActorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment116,400 USD
Art AdministratorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment94,000 USD
Art DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment115,600 USD
Art LeadMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment114,900 USD
Associate Media DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment103,600 USD
Associate ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment121,800 USD
Broadcast AssociateMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment63,900 USD
Broadcast News AnalystMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment92,300 USD
Broadcast TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment51,800 USD
Broadcast and Sound EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment72,400 USD
Broadcasting JournalistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment107,700 USD
Broadcasting PresenterMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment107,700 USD
CAS EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment92,100 USD
Camera Equipment RepairerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment62,500 USD
Camera OperatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment55,400 USD
Cartoonist / AnimatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment79,600 USD
Censorship ExecutiveMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment99,700 USD
ChoreographerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment73,300 USD
Communications ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment130,400 USD
CorrespondentMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment99,700 USD
Dance DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment92,300 USD
DancerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment76,000 USD
Director of PhotographyMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment95,500 USD
Disc JockeyMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment58,200 USD
Editorial AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment46,200 USD
Events ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment91,600 USD
Graphic DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment63,500 USD
IllustratorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment70,800 USD
Industrial DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment57,100 USD
Instructional DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment54,200 USD
JournalistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment108,200 USD
Makeup ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment58,100 USD
Media Design ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment151,800 USD
Media Equipment OperatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment49,200 USD
Media Operations ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment124,500 USD
Media PlannerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment77,100 USD
Media ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment108,200 USD
Media Product Development ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment152,700 USD
Media Production ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment152,700 USD
Media Program DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment160,600 USD
Media Relation ExecutiveMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment160,600 USD
Media Relations ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment156,200 USD
Media Sales ManagerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment168,700 USD
Movement and Dance CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment90,900 USD
Multimedia CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment63,700 USD
Multimedia DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment56,600 USD
Music ConsultantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment75,900 USD
MusicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment65,100 USD
News AssociateMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment78,900 USD
News ReporterMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment107,300 USD
Post Production AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment51,500 USD
ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment142,100 USD
Product DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment59,900 USD
Product PlannerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment74,600 USD
Production ArtistMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment75,900 USD
Production AssistantMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment55,600 USD
Production DirectorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment127,600 USD
Production TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment52,800 USD
Program ResearcherMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment92,200 USD
Promotion CoordinatorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment73,700 USD
Sound EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment75,000 USD
Sound Engineering TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment46,400 USD
Stage TechnicianMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment45,600 USD
Sub EditorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment54,600 USD
Television Executive ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment172,300 USD
Transmission EngineerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment86,100 USD
Video EditorMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment64,400 USD
Video ProducerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment83,300 USD
VideographerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment79,000 USD
Visual DesignerMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment78,700 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Atlanta42,300 USD
Austin50,300 USD
Baltimore43,800 USD
Boston47,500 USD
Bristol36,800 USD
Chicago52,300 USD
Cincinnati39,100 USD
Cleveland41,700 USD
Dallas51,300 USD
Denver45,600 USD
Detroit44,500 USD
Honolulu40,900 USD
Houston51,800 USD
Indianapolis49,400 USD
Iowa City35,400 USD
Jacksonville49,300 USD
Kansas City45,100 USD
Kent38,100 USD
Las Vegas45,600 USD
Long Beach43,500 USD
Los Angeles52,800 USD
Memphis43,800 USD
Miami40,600 USD
Minneapolis40,200 USD
New Orleans42,000 USD
New York55,600 USD
Oakland41,000 USD
Oklahoma City46,200 USD
Orlando37,800 USD
Philadelphia51,300 USD
Phoenix50,600 USD
Sacramento45,200 USD
San Antonio52,000 USD
San Diego51,100 USD
San Francisco48,000 USD
San Jose49,800 USD
Seattle47,100 USD
Tampa40,300 USD
Vancouver36,200 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

StateAverage Salary
Alabama47,500 USD
Alaska42,000 USD
Arizona49,400 USD
Arkansas45,600 USD
California51,100 USD
Colorado44,500 USD
Connecticut45,600 USD
Delaware41,000 USD
District of Columbia42,000 USD
Florida51,300 USD
Georgia50,300 USD
Hawaii43,500 USD
Idaho43,500 USD
Illinois49,800 USD
Indiana47,100 USD
Iowa43,800 USD
Kansas43,800 USD
Kentucky43,800 USD
Louisiana43,800 USD
Maine40,600 USD
Maryland45,600 USD
Massachusetts45,600 USD
Michigan49,300 USD
Minnesota47,500 USD
Mississippi45,200 USD
Missouri46,200 USD
Montana41,000 USD
Nebraska42,300 USD
Nevada45,200 USD
New Hampshire40,600 USD
New Jersey48,000 USD
New Mexico45,100 USD
New York51,300 USD
North Carolina49,300 USD
North Dakota41,700 USD
Ohio50,300 USD
Oklahoma46,200 USD
Oregon46,200 USD
Pennsylvania49,800 USD
Rhode Island40,200 USD
South Carolina44,500 USD
South Dakota40,200 USD
Tennessee47,100 USD
Texas51,100 USD
Utah45,100 USD
Vermont41,700 USD
Virginia48,000 USD
Washington49,400 USD
West Virginia42,300 USD
Wisconsin46,200 USD
Wyoming40,300 USD

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