Home Health and Personal Care Aides salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Home Health and Personal Care Aides 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 Home Health and Personal Care Aides in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $38,530 a year ($18.52 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $34,270 and $43,060 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,670 or less and the top 10 percent earn $46,080 or more. BLS estimates 50,450 Home Health and Personal Care Aides jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 16.085 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.58 (well below the national concentration). That is 1.2% of all Home Health and Personal Care Aides employment in the United States (4,305,810 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #14 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Home Health and Personal Care Aides. In aggregate, Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $1.97 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $32,358.32 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Home Health and Personal Care Aides is about $1.63 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 2.7% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #7 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Home Health and Personal Care Aides. By employment, Home Health and Personal Care Aides is the #8 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Home Health and Personal Care Aides, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $38,530 falls between the national median ($35,800) and the national 75th percentile ($39,470). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Home Health and Personal Care Aides pay is 45.8% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $18.80 | $39,110 |
| 10th percentile | $14.74 | $30,670 |
| 25th percentile | $16.47 | $34,270 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $18.52 | $38,530 |
| 75th percentile | $20.70 | $43,060 |
| 90th percentile | $22.15 | $46,080 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.5 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($46,080 against $30,670). The middle half spans $8,790 — from $34,270 to $43,060. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($22.15) is 1.50 times the 10th ($14.74). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $43,060 takes home $35,295.36 and the 90th percentile wage of $46,080 takes home $37,540.56 — $2,245.20 more net for $3,020 more gross. Against the median take-home of $31,927.04, the top decile keeps 1.18 times as much. The mean wage of $39,110 sits 1.5% above the median: higher-paid Home Health and Personal Care Aides 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, Home Health and Personal Care Aides ranks #25 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Home Health and Personal Care Aides sits between Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand at $42,590 and Stockers and Order Fillers at $37,870. Home Health and Personal Care Aides accounts for 1.6% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 91,965 Home Health and Personal Care Aides; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 0.5 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) | $38,530.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,443.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,388.86 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $558.69 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $1,211.80 |
| Total deductions | $6,602.96 |
| Net pay (annual) | $31,927.04 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,227.96 |
| Total deduction rate | 17.14% of gross |
At the median, $31,927.04 of the $38,530 gross is kept ($1,227.96 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 17.14%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.96% at the 10th percentile, 16.08% at the 25th percentile, 18.03% at the 75th percentile, 18.53% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $6,535.54 on a gross rise of $8,790.
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 ($30,670) | $26,083.08 | $1,003.20 | 14.96% |
| 25th percentile ($34,270) | $28,759.82 | $1,106.15 | 16.08% |
| Median ($38,530) | $31,927.04 | $1,227.96 | 17.14% |
| 75th percentile ($43,060) | $35,295.36 | $1,357.51 | 18.03% |
| 90th percentile ($46,080) | $37,540.56 | $1,443.87 | 18.53% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $26,083.08 a year at the 10th percentile to $37,540.56 at the 90th — a spread of $11,457.48 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 Home Health and Personal Care Aides median take-home of $31,927.04 sits $23,649.70 (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 Home Health and Personal Care Aides earns $35,800 a year ($17.21 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $38,530 is $2,730 (7.6%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $39,110 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $36,120 nationally, a gap of $2,990 (8.3%).
Set against the whole local market, the Home Health and Personal Care Aides 90th percentile of $46,080 is 26% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $30,670 is 85% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $38,530 | $18.52 | $39,110 |
| United States | $35,800 | $17.21 | $36,120 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$38,530 a year ($18.52 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $39,110 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #7 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $38,530 in District of Columbia?
About $31,927.04 a year ($1,227.96 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 17.14% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $43,060, take-home is $35,295.36.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Home Health and Personal Care Aides?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $38,530 is $2,730 (7.6%) above the national median of $35,800 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $46,080, against a national 90th percentile of $45,040.
How much do the top 10% of Home Health and Personal Care Aides earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$46,080 a year or more ($22.15 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $46,080 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $37,540.56 a year ($1,443.87 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.53%.
How many Home Health and Personal Care Aides jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 50,450 Home Health and Personal Care Aides jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 16.085 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Home Health and Personal Care Aides jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.58 — well 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 Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $26,083.08 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,670) to $37,540.56 at the 90th ($46,080), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Home Health and Personal Care Aides in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $1.97 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 50,450 multiplied by the mean wage of $39,110.
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.