Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an elementary school teacher make in Washington-Arlington, DC?

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, elementary school teachers earned a median of $79,470 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 30,940 of these jobs there. That is 12% above the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $60,790 and $122,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $60,857 in take-home pay.

Elementary school teacher pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance

Median salary

$79,470$6,623 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$60,790—
25th percentile$64,140—
75th percentile$102,750—
90th percentile$122,580—
Jobs in this metro30,940Location quotient 1.10 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% aboveAll-jobs median $71,060
Against District of Columbia18% belowStatewide median $96,580
Against the U.S.24% aboveNational median $63,970

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Elementary school teacher salary in Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes

$79,470
$30,000$160,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$79,470
Net 77%
Fed 11%
DC 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$60,857After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,071Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,341Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate23.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$8,653 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$3,880 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,079 / yr

Elementary school teachers pay range in Washington-Arlington, DC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What elementary school teachers earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile—$5,066$60,790$48,448
25th percentile—$5,345$64,140$50,922
MedianMedian—$6,623$79,470$60,857
75th percentile—$8,563$102,750$75,256
90th percentile—$10,215$122,580$87,505

Is $79,470 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for elementary school teachers next to both.

Median household income$126,684Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.98.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household62.7%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Elementary school teacher pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions

What is the median salary for elementary school teachers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The BLS median annual wage for elementary school teachers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $79,470 in May 2025, about $6,623 a month. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $96,580, so the metro pays 18% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for elementary school teachers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many elementary school teachers work in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS estimated 30,940 jobs for elementary school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 9.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.10 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for elementary school teachers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS wage estimates for elementary school teachers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $60,790 at the 10th percentile to $64,140 at the 25th, $102,750 at the 75th, and $122,580 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do elementary school teachers take home after taxes in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On a median gross salary of $79,470, an estimated $60,857 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,341 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $18,613 (an effective rate of 23.4%).

How much do elementary school teachers make per month in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On the median annual salary of $79,470, gross monthly income is $6,623. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,071 per month (or $2,341 every two weeks).

Is $79,470 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $79,470, the median salary for elementary school teachers is 62.7% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 12% above the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.9, so prices here run 8.9% above the U.S. average.