Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 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 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $42,590 a year ($20.47 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $37,490 and $47,430 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $35,290 or less and the top 10 percent earn $55,190 or more. BLS estimates 28,510 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 9.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.48 (well below the national concentration). That is 1.0% of all Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand employment in the United States (2,950,280 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #16 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand. In aggregate, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $1.25 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $35,986.68 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is about $1.03 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 3.1% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #13 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand. By employment, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is the #20 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $42,590 falls between the national median ($40,240) and the national 75th percentile ($46,920). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand pay is 40.1% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $21.15 | $43,990 |
| 10th percentile | $16.96 | $35,290 |
| 25th percentile | $18.03 | $37,490 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $20.47 | $42,590 |
| 75th percentile | $22.80 | $47,430 |
| 90th percentile | $26.53 | $55,190 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($55,190 against $35,290). The middle half spans $9,940 — from $37,490 to $47,430. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($26.53) is 1.56 times the 10th ($16.96). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $47,430 takes home $38,544.24 and the 90th percentile wage of $55,190 takes home $44,312.64 — $5,768.40 more net for $7,760 more gross. Against the median take-home of $34,945.74, the top decile keeps 1.27 times as much. The mean wage of $43,990 sits 3.3% above the median: higher-paid Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 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, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand ranks #24 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand sits between Cooks, Restaurant at $42,920 and Home Health and Personal Care Aides at $38,530. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand accounts for 0.9% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 49,211 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 0.6 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) | $42,590.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,930.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,640.58 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $617.55 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $1,455.40 |
| Total deductions | $7,644.26 |
| Net pay (annual) | $34,945.74 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,344.07 |
| Total deduction rate | 17.95% of gross |
At the median, $34,945.74 of the $42,590 gross is kept ($1,344.07 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 17.95%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 16.36% at the 10th percentile, 16.90% at the 25th percentile, 18.73% at the 75th percentile, 19.71% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $7,390.44 on a gross rise of $9,940.
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 ($35,290) | $29,518.26 | $1,135.32 | 16.36% |
| 25th percentile ($37,490) | $31,153.80 | $1,198.22 | 16.90% |
| Median ($42,590) | $34,945.74 | $1,344.07 | 17.95% |
| 75th percentile ($47,430) | $38,544.24 | $1,482.47 | 18.73% |
| 90th percentile ($55,190) | $44,312.64 | $1,704.33 | 19.71% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $29,518.26 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,312.64 at the 90th — a spread of $14,794.38 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 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand median take-home of $34,945.74 sits $20,631.00 (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 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand earns $40,240 a year ($19.35 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $42,590 is $2,350 (5.8%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $43,990 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $42,260 nationally, a gap of $1,730 (4.1%).
Set against the whole local market, the Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 90th percentile of $55,190 is 32% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $35,290 is 97% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $42,590 | $20.47 | $43,990 |
| United States | $40,240 | $19.35 | $42,260 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$42,590 a year ($20.47 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $43,990 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #13 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $42,590 in District of Columbia?
About $34,945.74 a year ($1,344.07 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 17.95% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $47,430, take-home is $38,544.24.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $42,590 is $2,350 (5.8%) above the national median of $40,240 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $55,190, against a national 90th percentile of $55,140.
How much do the top 10% of Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$55,190 a year or more ($26.53 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $55,190 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $44,312.64 a year ($1,704.33 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 19.71%.
How many Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 28,510 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 9.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.48 — 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 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $29,518.26 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($35,290) to $44,312.64 at the 90th ($55,190), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $1.25 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 28,510 multiplied by the mean wage of $43,990.
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.