Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 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 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $53,660 a year ($25.80 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $44,750 and $64,090 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $37,890 or less and the top 10 percent earn $79,660 or more. BLS estimates 37,010 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 11.802 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.08 (above the national concentration). That is 2.2% of all Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive employment in the United States (1,706,790 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #5 largest of the 24 covered metro areas for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive. In aggregate, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $2.09 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $45,206.48 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive is about $1.67 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 2.3% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #7 of the 24 metro areas covered on this site for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive. By employment, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive is the #15 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $53,660 falls between the national median ($47,540) and the national 75th percentile ($58,000). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive pay is 24.5% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $27.12 | $56,400 |
| 10th percentile | $18.22 | $37,890 |
| 25th percentile | $21.52 | $44,750 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $25.80 | $53,660 |
| 75th percentile | $30.81 | $64,090 |
| 90th percentile | $38.30 | $79,660 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 2.1 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($79,660 against $37,890). The middle half spans $19,340 — from $44,750 to $64,090. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($38.30) is 2.10 times the 10th ($18.22). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $64,090 takes home $50,885.64 and the 90th percentile wage of $79,660 takes home $60,974.58 — $10,088.94 more net for $15,570 more gross. Against the median take-home of $43,176.02, the top decile keeps 1.41 times as much. The mean wage of $56,400 sits 5.1% above the median: higher-paid Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 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, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive ranks #13 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive sits between Maintenance and Repair Workers, General at $57,240 and Office Clerks, General at $51,880. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive accounts for 1.2% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 28,772 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.3 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) | $53,660.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $4,259.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $3,326.92 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $778.07 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $2,119.60 |
| Total deductions | $10,483.98 |
| Net pay (annual) | $43,176.02 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,660.62 |
| Total deduction rate | 19.54% of gross |
At the median, $43,176.02 of the $53,660 gross is kept ($1,660.62 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 19.54%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 16.99% at the 10th percentile, 18.32% at the 25th percentile, 20.60% at the 75th percentile, 23.46% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $14,333.96 on a gross rise of $19,340.
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 ($37,890) | $31,451.36 | $1,209.67 | 16.99% |
| 25th percentile ($44,750) | $36,551.68 | $1,405.83 | 18.32% |
| Median ($53,660) | $43,176.02 | $1,660.62 | 19.54% |
| 75th percentile ($64,090) | $50,885.64 | $1,957.14 | 20.60% |
| 90th percentile ($79,660) | $60,974.58 | $2,345.18 | 23.46% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $31,451.36 a year at the 10th percentile to $60,974.58 at the 90th — a spread of $29,523.22 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 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive median take-home of $43,176.02 sits $12,400.72 (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 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earns $47,540 a year ($22.86 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $53,660 is $6,120 (12.9%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $56,400 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $49,350 nationally, a gap of $7,050 (14.3%).
Set against the whole local market, the Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 90th percentile of $79,660 is 46% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $37,890 is 104% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $53,660 | $25.80 | $56,400 |
| United States | $47,540 | $22.86 | $49,350 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$53,660 a year ($25.80 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $56,400 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #7 of the 24 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $53,660 in District of Columbia?
About $43,176.02 a year ($1,660.62 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 19.54% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $64,090, take-home is $50,885.64.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $53,660 is $6,120 (12.9%) above the national median of $47,540 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $79,660, against a national 90th percentile of $66,350.
How much do the top 10% of Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$79,660 a year or more ($38.30 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $79,660 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $60,974.58 a year ($2,345.18 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 23.46%.
How many Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 37,010 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 11.802 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 1.08 — 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 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $31,451.36 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($37,890) to $60,974.58 at the 90th ($79,660), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $2.09 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 37,010 multiplied by the mean wage of $56,400.
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.