Retail Salespersons salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Retail Salespersons 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 Retail Salespersons in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $36,610 a year ($17.60 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $34,350 and $39,730 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,640 or less and the top 10 percent earn $47,800 or more. BLS estimates 66,920 Retail Salespersons jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 21.338 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.85 (below the national concentration). That is 1.7% of all Retail Salespersons employment in the United States (3,897,860 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #9 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Retail Salespersons. In aggregate, Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $2.65 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $32,722.74 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Retail Salespersons is about $2.19 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 1.8% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #11 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Retail Salespersons. By employment, Retail Salespersons is the #4 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Retail Salespersons, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $36,610 falls between the national median ($35,410) and the national 75th percentile ($38,670). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Retail Salespersons pay is 48.5% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $19.04 | $39,600 |
| 10th percentile | $14.73 | $30,640 |
| 25th percentile | $16.52 | $34,350 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.60 | $36,610 |
| 75th percentile | $19.10 | $39,730 |
| 90th percentile | $22.98 | $47,800 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($47,800 against $30,640). The middle half spans $5,380 — from $34,350 to $39,730. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($22.98) is 1.56 times the 10th ($14.73). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $39,730 takes home $32,819.20 and the 90th percentile wage of $47,800 takes home $38,819.34 — $6,000.14 more net for $8,070 more gross. Against the median take-home of $30,499.48, the top decile keeps 1.27 times as much. The mean wage of $39,600 sits 8.2% above the median: higher-paid Retail Salespersons 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, Retail Salespersons ranks #28 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Retail Salespersons sits between Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners at $37,840 and Cashiers at $35,470. Retail Salespersons accounts for 2.1% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 64,365 Retail Salespersons; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.0 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) | $36,610.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,213.20 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,269.82 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $530.84 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $1,096.60 |
| Total deductions | $6,110.52 |
| Net pay (annual) | $30,499.48 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,173.06 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.69% of gross |
At the median, $30,499.48 of the $36,610 gross is kept ($1,173.06 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.69%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.94% at the 10th percentile, 16.10% at the 25th percentile, 17.39% at the 75th percentile, 18.79% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $3,999.92 on a gross rise of $5,380.
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 ($30,640) | $26,060.88 | $1,002.34 | 14.94% |
| 25th percentile ($34,350) | $28,819.28 | $1,108.43 | 16.10% |
| Median ($36,610) | $30,499.48 | $1,173.06 | 16.69% |
| 75th percentile ($39,730) | $32,819.20 | $1,262.28 | 17.39% |
| 90th percentile ($47,800) | $38,819.34 | $1,493.05 | 18.79% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $26,060.88 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,819.34 at the 90th — a spread of $12,758.46 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 Retail Salespersons median take-home of $30,499.48 sits $25,077.26 (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 Retail Salespersons earns $35,410 a year ($17.03 an hour). The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $36,610 is $1,200 (3.4%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $39,600 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $37,310 nationally, a gap of $2,290 (6.1%).
Set against the whole local market, the Retail Salespersons 90th percentile of $47,800 is 27% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $30,640 is 85% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $36,610 | $17.60 | $39,600 |
| United States | $35,410 | $17.03 | $37,310 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$36,610 a year ($17.60 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $39,600 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #11 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $36,610 in District of Columbia?
About $30,499.48 a year ($1,173.06 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.69% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $39,730, take-home is $32,819.20.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Retail Salespersons?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $36,610 is $1,200 (3.4%) above the national median of $35,410 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $47,800, against a national 90th percentile of $47,890.
How much do the top 10% of Retail Salespersons earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$47,800 a year or more ($22.98 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $47,800 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $38,819.34 a year ($1,493.05 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 18.79%.
How many Retail Salespersons jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 66,920 Retail Salespersons jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 21.338 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Retail Salespersons jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.85 — 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 Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $26,060.88 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,640) to $38,819.34 at the 90th ($47,800), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Retail Salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $2.65 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 66,920 multiplied by the mean wage of $39,600.
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.