Cashiers salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Cashiers 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 Cashiers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $35,470 a year ($17.05 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $32,340 and $37,950 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,330 or less and the top 10 percent earn $44,710 or more. BLS estimates 50,600 Cashiers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 16.134 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.81 (below the national concentration). That is 1.6% of all Cashiers employment in the United States (3,089,410 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #9 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Cashiers. In aggregate, Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $1.85 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $30,514.28 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Cashiers is about $1.54 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.6% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #11 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Cashiers. By employment, Cashiers is the #7 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Cashiers, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $35,470 falls between the national median ($32,880) and the national 75th percentile ($36,330). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Cashiers pay is 50.1% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $17.61 | $36,630 |
| 10th percentile | $14.58 | $30,330 |
| 25th percentile | $15.55 | $32,340 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.05 | $35,470 |
| 75th percentile | $18.25 | $37,950 |
| 90th percentile | $21.50 | $44,710 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.5 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($44,710 against $30,330). The middle half spans $5,610 — from $32,340 to $37,950. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($21.50) is 1.47 times the 10th ($14.58). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $37,950 takes home $31,495.76 and the 90th percentile wage of $44,710 takes home $36,521.82 — $5,026.06 more net for $6,760 more gross. Against the median take-home of $29,651.98, the top decile keeps 1.23 times as much. The mean wage of $36,630 sits 3.3% above the median: higher-paid Cashiers 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, Cashiers ranks #29 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Cashiers sits between Retail Salespersons at $36,610 and Fast Food and Counter Workers at $34,600. Cashiers accounts for 1.6% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 48,512 Cashiers; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.0 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) | $35,470.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,076.40 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,199.14 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $514.32 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $1,028.20 |
| Total deductions | $5,818.02 |
| Net pay (annual) | $29,651.98 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,140.46 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.40% of gross |
At the median, $29,651.98 of the $35,470 gross is kept ($1,140.46 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.40%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.84% at the 10th percentile, 15.51% at the 25th percentile, 17.01% at the 75th percentile, 18.31% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $4,171.16 on a gross rise of $5,610.
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 ($30,330) | $25,830.44 | $993.48 | 14.84% |
| 25th percentile ($32,340) | $27,324.60 | $1,050.95 | 15.51% |
| Median ($35,470) | $29,651.98 | $1,140.46 | 16.40% |
| 75th percentile ($37,950) | $31,495.76 | $1,211.38 | 17.01% |
| 90th percentile ($44,710) | $36,521.82 | $1,404.69 | 18.31% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $25,830.44 a year at the 10th percentile to $36,521.82 at the 90th — a spread of $10,691.38 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 Cashiers median take-home of $29,651.98 sits $25,924.76 (below 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 Cashiers earns $32,880 a year ($15.81 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $35,470 is $2,590 (7.9%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $36,630 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $33,180 nationally, a gap of $3,450 (10.4%).
Set against the whole local market, the Cashiers 90th percentile of $44,710 is 26% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $30,330 is 84% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $35,470 | $17.05 | $36,630 |
| United States | $32,880 | $15.81 | $33,180 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$35,470 a year ($17.05 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $36,630 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #11 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $35,470 in District of Columbia?
About $29,651.98 a year ($1,140.46 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.40% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $37,950, take-home is $31,495.76.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Cashiers?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $35,470 is $2,590 (7.9%) above the national median of $32,880 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $44,710, against a national 90th percentile of $40,410.
How much do the top 10% of Cashiers earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$44,710 a year or more ($21.50 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $44,710 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $36,521.82 a year ($1,404.69 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.31%.
How many Cashiers jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 50,600 Cashiers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 16.134 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Cashiers jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.81 — below 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 Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $25,830.44 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,330) to $36,521.82 at the 90th ($44,710), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Cashiers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $1.85 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 50,600 multiplied by the mean wage of $36,630.
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.