SOC 13-2011

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + DC
COL Index: 158.92 (+58.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 69.2% Realized
$70,713 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $102,140 $49.11/hr
Effective Tax Drag 24.77% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$25,299 $973.03/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $49.11 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$6,128/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,348/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$12,293
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$6,333
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,481
District of Columbia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$5,192
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$70,713 ($2,719.73 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Accountant & Auditor Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $102,140
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $67.5k 25th $80.0k Median: $102,140 50th (Median) $102k 75th $133k 90th $171k You: $102,140
10th (Entry) $67,530 $32.47/hr
25th (Junior) $79,990 $38.46/hr
50th (Median) $102,140 $49.11/hr
75th (Senior) $133,430 $64.15/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $170,980 $82.20/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Accountant & Auditor in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
1
Staff AccountantBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$68,354$32.86/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior AccountantDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; CPA license
$81,780$39.32/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Accounting ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; CPA license
$102,164$49.12/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Corporate ControllerOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$134,022$64.43/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Vice President of FinanceExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$175,889$84.56/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV medianView National Accountant & Auditor Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Financial Managers+$82,890/yr
National median: $166,570
Skill overlap: 94%View Salary
Financial Examiners+$10,480/yr
National median: $94,160
Skill overlap: 93%
Tax Preparers-$28,760/yr
National median: $54,920
Skill overlap: 93%
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks-$33,010/yr
National median: $50,670
Skill overlap: 89%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
37% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $2,204/month Requires minimum annual gross of $88,160
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,438/month Requires minimum annual gross of $97,520
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $35.15/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $29.27/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$102,140-$25,299$70,713$2,719.73
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$121,291-$32,254$81,759$3,144.59
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$140,443-$39,415$92,601$3,561.59
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$159,594-$46,730$103,288$3,972.61
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$178,745-$54,046$113,974$4,383.62
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Accountant & Auditor in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and District of Columbia tax codes.

Market Baseline
$102,140/yr
$49.11/hr · SOC 13-2011
Statutory Tax Drag
24.77% Effective
-$25,299 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
37% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,689/mo
Post-$2,204/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 13-2011
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Accountant & Auditor in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: Market Snapshot

Accountant & Auditor roles in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV report a median annual wage of $102,140, 22.1% above the national median of $83,680. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $67,530 to $170,980, and HUD’s $2,204 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 25.9% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $35.15 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Accountant & Auditor

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$121,700+19.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,730+8.4%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$105,650+3.4%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$102,020-0.1%
Midland, TX$100,890-1.2%
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$100,420-1.7%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$100,150-1.9%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$100,020-2.1%
Boulder, CO$99,990-2.1%
Napa, CA$99,640-2.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Computer and Information Systems Managers$195,190$93.84/hr
Public Relations Managers$195,190$93.84/hr
Financial Manager$185,270$89.07/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$185,220$89.05/hr
Marketing Managers$181,260$87.14/hr
Human Resources Managers$177,960$85.56/hr
Sales Managers$175,820$84.53/hr
Purchasing Managers$172,150$82.76/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$171,950$82.67/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$169,060$81.28/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 393 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Accountant & Auditor Salary in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV (2026) Overview

Accountant & Auditor median pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is $102,140 a year ($49.11/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Accountant & Auditor in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for an Accountant & Auditor in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The median annual wage is $102,140 ($49.11 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $67,530 and $170,980. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for an Accountant & Auditor in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV after taxes?

On the median wage of $102,140, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $74,972 a year ($6,248 a month) after $27,168 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 26.6%, using 2026 tax rules.