Accountants and Auditors salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Accountants and Auditors in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 District of Columbia tax rules.
The figures
The median Accountants and Auditors in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $102,140 a year ($49.11 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $79,990 and $133,430 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $67,530 or less and the top 10 percent earn $170,980 or more. BLS estimates 41,470 Accountants and Auditors jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 13.222 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.42 (well above the national concentration). That is 2.9% of all Accountants and Auditors employment in the United States (1,449,500 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #3 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Accountants and Auditors. In aggregate, Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $4.71 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $81,991.24 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Accountants and Auditors is about $3.40 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.9% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #3 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Accountants and Auditors. By employment, Accountants and Auditors is the #11 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Accountants and Auditors, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $102,140 falls between the national median ($83,680) and the national 75th percentile ($109,810). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Accountants and Auditors pay is 43.7% above the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $54.63 | $113,640 |
| 10th percentile | $32.46 | $67,530 |
| 25th percentile | $38.46 | $79,990 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $49.11 | $102,140 |
| 75th percentile | $64.15 | $133,430 |
| 90th percentile | $82.20 | $170,980 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 2.5 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($170,980 against $67,530). The middle half spans $53,440 — from $79,990 to $133,430. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($82.20) is 2.53 times the 10th ($32.46). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $133,430 takes home $93,998.92 and the 90th percentile wage of $170,980 takes home $116,472.56 — $22,473.64 more net for $37,550 more gross. Against the median take-home of $74,878.74, the top decile keeps 1.56 times as much. The mean wage of $113,640 sits 11.3% above the median: higher-paid Accountants and Auditors pull the average up in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Among the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Accountants and Auditors ranks #6 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Accountants and Auditors sits between Registered Nurses at $102,710 and Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel at $78,110. Accountants and Auditors accounts for 1.3% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,234 Accountants and Auditors; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.5 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in District of Columbia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in District of Columbia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $102,140.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $13,640.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $6,332.68 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $1,481.03 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $5,806.90 |
| Total deductions | $27,261.26 |
| Net pay (annual) | $74,878.74 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $2,879.95 |
| Total deduction rate | 26.69% of gross |
At the median, $74,878.74 of the $102,140 gross is kept ($2,879.95 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 26.69%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 21.04% at the 10th percentile, 23.52% at the 25th percentile, 29.55% at the 75th percentile, 31.88% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $32,820.18 on a gross rise of $53,440.
The same engine at the other published points of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($67,530) | $53,323.08 | $2,050.89 | 21.04% |
| 25th percentile ($79,990) | $61,178.74 | $2,353.03 | 23.52% |
| Median ($102,140) | $74,878.74 | $2,879.95 | 26.69% |
| 75th percentile ($133,430) | $93,998.92 | $3,615.34 | 29.55% |
| 90th percentile ($170,980) | $116,472.56 | $4,479.71 | 31.88% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $53,323.08 a year at the 10th percentile to $116,472.56 at the 90th — a spread of $63,149.48 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median wage of $71,060 takes home $55,576.74 a year ($2,137.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 21.79%). The Accountants and Auditors median take-home of $74,878.74 sits $19,302.00 (above that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also covers parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. The take-home estimate above uses District of Columbia rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia paycheck calculators.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Accountants and Auditors earns $83,680 a year ($40.23 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $102,140 is $18,460 (22.1%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $113,640 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $94,750 nationally, a gap of $18,890 (19.9%).
Set against the whole local market, the Accountants and Auditors 90th percentile of $170,980 is 98% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $67,530 is 186% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $102,140 | $49.11 | $113,640 |
| United States | $83,680 | $40.23 | $94,750 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$102,140 a year ($49.11 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $113,640 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #3 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $102,140 in District of Columbia?
About $74,878.74 a year ($2,879.95 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 26.69% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $133,430, take-home is $93,998.92.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Accountants and Auditors?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $102,140 is $18,460 (22.1%) above the national median of $83,680 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $170,980, against a national 90th percentile of $144,090.
How much do the top 10% of Accountants and Auditors earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$170,980 a year or more ($82.20 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $170,980 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $116,472.56 a year ($4,479.71 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 31.88%.
How many Accountants and Auditors jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 41,470 Accountants and Auditors jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 13.222 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Accountants and Auditors jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 1.42 — well above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $53,323.08 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($67,530) to $116,472.56 at the 90th ($170,980), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Accountants and Auditors in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $4.71 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 41,470 multiplied by the mean wage of $113,640.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.