Project Management Specialists salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Project Management Specialists 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 Project Management Specialists in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $127,030 a year ($61.07 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $95,150 and $163,550 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $74,110 or less and the top 10 percent earn $192,450 or more. BLS estimates 38,230 Project Management Specialists jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 12.191 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.78 (well above the national concentration). That is 3.6% of all Project Management Specialists employment in the United States (1,066,670 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #4 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Project Management Specialists. In aggregate, Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $4.93 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $91,377.56 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Project Management Specialists is about $3.49 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 #3 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Project Management Specialists. By employment, Project Management Specialists is the #14 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Project Management Specialists, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $127,030 falls between the national median ($102,320) and the national 75th percentile ($133,100). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Project Management Specialists pay is 78.8% above the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $62.04 | $129,050 |
| 10th percentile | $35.63 | $74,110 |
| 25th percentile | $45.75 | $95,150 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $61.07 | $127,030 |
| 75th percentile | $78.63 | $163,550 |
| 90th percentile | $92.52 | $192,450 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 2.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($192,450 against $74,110). The middle half spans $68,400 — from $95,150 to $163,550. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($92.52) is 2.60 times the 10th ($35.63). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $163,550 takes home $112,025.80 and the 90th percentile wage of $192,450 takes home $129,322.26 — $17,296.46 more net for $28,900 more gross. Against the median take-home of $90,168.50, the top decile keeps 1.43 times as much. The mean wage of $129,050 sits 1.6% above the median: higher-paid Project Management Specialists 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, Project Management Specialists ranks #3 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Project Management Specialists sits between Software Developers at $154,930 and Business Operations Specialists, All Other at $104,770. Project Management Specialists accounts for 1.2% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 21,846 Project Management Specialists; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.8 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) | $127,030.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $19,221.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $7,875.86 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $1,841.93 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $7,922.55 |
| Total deductions | $36,861.50 |
| Net pay (annual) | $90,168.50 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $3,468.02 |
| Total deduction rate | 29.02% of gross |
At the median, $90,168.50 of the $127,030 gross is kept ($3,468.02 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 29.02%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 22.38% at the 10th percentile, 25.85% at the 25th percentile, 31.50% at the 75th percentile, 32.80% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $41,470.50 on a gross rise of $68,400.
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 ($74,110) | $57,524.34 | $2,212.47 | 22.38% |
| 25th percentile ($95,150) | $70,555.30 | $2,713.67 | 25.85% |
| Median ($127,030) | $90,168.50 | $3,468.02 | 29.02% |
| 75th percentile ($163,550) | $112,025.80 | $4,308.68 | 31.50% |
| 90th percentile ($192,450) | $129,322.26 | $4,973.93 | 32.80% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $57,524.34 a year at the 10th percentile to $129,322.26 at the 90th — a spread of $71,797.92 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 Project Management Specialists median take-home of $90,168.50 sits $34,591.76 (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 Project Management Specialists earns $102,320 a year ($49.19 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $127,030 is $24,710 (24.1%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $129,050 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $110,740 nationally, a gap of $18,310 (16.5%).
Set against the whole local market, the Project Management Specialists 90th percentile of $192,450 is 110% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $74,110 is 204% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $127,030 | $61.07 | $129,050 |
| United States | $102,320 | $49.19 | $110,740 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$127,030 a year ($61.07 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $129,050 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 $127,030 in District of Columbia?
About $90,168.50 a year ($3,468.02 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 29.02% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $163,550, take-home is $112,025.80.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Project Management Specialists?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $127,030 is $24,710 (24.1%) above the national median of $102,320 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $192,450, against a national 90th percentile of $167,970.
How much do the top 10% of Project Management Specialists earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$192,450 a year or more ($92.52 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $192,450 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $129,322.26 a year ($4,973.93 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 32.80%.
How many Project Management Specialists jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 38,230 Project Management Specialists jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 12.191 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Project Management Specialists jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 1.78 — 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 Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $57,524.34 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($74,110) to $129,322.26 at the 90th ($192,450), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Project Management Specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $4.93 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 38,230 multiplied by the mean wage of $129,050.
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.