SOC 13-1082

Project Management Specialist Salary in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV

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 67.0% Realized
$85,069 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $127,030 $61.07/hr
Effective Tax Drag 27.03% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$34,339 $1,320.72/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 $61.07 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,622/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,677/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,440
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,876
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,842
District of Columbia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$7,181
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$85,069 ($3,271.90 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Project Management Specialist Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $127,030
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $74.1k 25th $95.2k Median: $127,030 50th (Median) $127k 75th $164k 90th $192k You: $127,030
10th (Entry) $74,110 $35.63/hr
25th (Junior) $95,150 $45.75/hr
50th (Median) $127,030 $61.07/hr
75th (Senior) $163,550 $78.63/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $192,450 $92.52/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Project Management Specialist in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
1
Associate Project CoordinatorProject scheduling, CAPM cert, task tracking (Jira/Asana), meeting minutes
$74,490$35.81/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Project Management SpecialistPMP certification, budget management, scope governance, risk registers
$119,184$57.30/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Project / Program ManagerMulti-million dollar portfolio management, cross-functional stakeholder alignment
$163,878$78.79/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Director of Program ManagementEnterprise PMO governance, strategic initiative execution
$211,055$101.47/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV medianView National Project Management Specialist Salary Data
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)
31% 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$127,030-$34,339$85,069$3,271.90
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$150,848-$43,389$98,408$3,784.91
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$174,666-$52,488$111,698$4,296.09
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$198,484-$60,720$125,856$4,840.61
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$222,303-$68,542$140,422$5,400.86
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

Project Management Specialist 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
$127,030/yr
$61.07/hr · SOC 13-1082
Statutory Tax Drag
27.03% Effective
-$34,339 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
31% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,885/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 13-1082
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

Project Management Specialist in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: Market Snapshot

Project Management Specialist roles in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV report a median annual wage of $127,030, 24.1% above the national median of $102,320. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $74,110 to $192,450, and HUD’s $2,204 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 20.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $35.15 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Project Management Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Dothan, AL$135,260+6.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$135,120+6.4%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$135,040+6.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$130,380+2.6%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$126,660-0.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$125,940-0.9%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$124,350-2.1%
Peoria, IL$123,730-2.6%
Boulder, CO$122,040-3.9%
Hanford-Corcoran, CA$118,380-6.8%

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, 389 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.

Project Management Specialist Salary in Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV Overview

Project Management Specialist median pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is $127,030 a year ($61.07/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes. Official 2026 economic data for Project Management Specialist 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 a Project Management Specialist in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The median annual wage is $127,030 ($61.07 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $74,110 and $192,450. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Project Management Specialist in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV after taxes?

On the median wage of $127,030, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $90,262 a year ($7,522 a month) after $36,768 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 28.94%, using 2026 tax rules.