Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 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.
Take-home estimate: 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. Full breakdown below.
The figures
The median Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $59,290 a year ($28.51 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $49,210 and $66,580 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $41,520 or less and the top 10 percent earn $79,390 or more. BLS estimates 18,550 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 5.915 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.67 (well below the national concentration). That is 1.4% of all Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks employment in the United States (1,373,680 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #10 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks. In aggregate, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $1.11 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $47,886.96 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks is about $0.89 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 4% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #5 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks. By employment, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks is the #27 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $59,290 falls between the national median ($50,670) and the national 75th percentile ($61,470). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks pay is 16.6% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $28.86 | $60,030 |
| 10th percentile | $19.96 | $41,520 |
| 25th percentile | $23.66 | $49,210 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $28.51 | $59,290 |
| 75th percentile | $32.01 | $66,580 |
| 90th percentile | $38.17 | $79,390 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.9 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($79,390 against $41,520). The middle half spans $17,370 — from $49,210 to $66,580. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($38.17) is 1.91 times the 10th ($19.96). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $66,580 takes home $52,716.28 and the 90th percentile wage of $79,390 takes home $60,807.54 — $8,091.26 more net for $12,810 more gross. Against the median take-home of $47,340.66, the top decile keeps 1.28 times as much. The mean wage of $60,030 sits 1.2% above the median: higher-paid Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 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, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks ranks #11 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks sits between Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers at $59,820 and Maintenance and Repair Workers, General at $57,240. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks accounts for 0.6% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 21,599 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 0.9 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) | $59,290.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $4,934.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $3,675.98 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $859.70 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $2,478.85 |
| Total deductions | $11,949.34 |
| Net pay (annual) | $47,340.66 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,820.79 |
| Total deduction rate | 20.15% of gross |
At the median, $47,340.66 of the $59,290 gross is kept ($1,820.79 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 20.15%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 17.75% at the 10th percentile, 18.98% at the 25th percentile, 20.82% at the 75th percentile, 23.41% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $12,848.60 on a gross rise of $17,370.
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 ($41,520) | $34,150.04 | $1,313.46 | 17.75% |
| 25th percentile ($49,210) | $39,867.68 | $1,533.37 | 18.98% |
| Median ($59,290) | $47,340.66 | $1,820.79 | 20.15% |
| 75th percentile ($66,580) | $52,716.28 | $2,027.55 | 20.82% |
| 90th percentile ($79,390) | $60,807.54 | $2,338.75 | 23.41% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $34,150.04 a year at the 10th percentile to $60,807.54 at the 90th — a spread of $26,657.50 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 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks median take-home of $47,340.66 sits $8,236.08 (14.8%) below the area-wide median take-home of $55,576.74.
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 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earns $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $59,290 is $8,620 (17.0%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $60,030 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $53,560 nationally, a gap of $6,470 (12.1%).
Set against the whole local market, the Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 90th percentile of $79,390 is 45% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $41,520 is 115% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $59,290 | $28.51 | $60,030 |
| United States | $50,670 | $24.36 | $53,560 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$59,290 a year ($28.51 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $60,030 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #5 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $59,290 in District of Columbia?
About $47,340.66 a year ($1,820.79 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 20.15% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $66,580, take-home is $52,716.28.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $59,290 is $8,620 (17.0%) above the national median of $50,670 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $79,390, against a national 90th percentile of $74,550.
How much do the top 10% of Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$79,390 a year or more ($38.17 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $79,390 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $60,807.54 a year ($2,338.75 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 23.41%.
How many Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 18,550 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 5.915 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.67 — 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 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $34,150.04 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($41,520) to $60,807.54 at the 90th ($79,390), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $1.11 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 18,550 multiplied by the mean wage of $60,030.
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.