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

How much does a high school teacher make in Washington-Arlington, DC?

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $80,300 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 20,400 of these jobs there. That is 13% above the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $57,290 and $117,160; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $61,371 in take-home pay.

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

Median salary

$80,300$6,692 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$57,290—
25th percentile$65,050—
75th percentile$102,320—
90th percentile$117,160—
Jobs in this metro20,400Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% aboveAll-jobs median $71,060
Against District of Columbia3% belowStatewide median $82,750
Against the U.S.11% aboveNational median $72,040

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.

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

$80,300
$30,000$165,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$80,300
Net 76%
Fed 11%
DC 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$61,371After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,114Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,360Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate23.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$8,836 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$3,951 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,143 / yr

High 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 high school teachers earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile—$4,774$57,290$45,864
25th percentile—$5,421$65,050$51,594
MedianMedian—$6,692$80,300$61,371
75th percentile—$8,527$102,320$74,990
90th percentile—$9,763$117,160$84,168

Is $80,300 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high 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 household63.4%of area median income

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

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

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

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $80,300 in May 2025, about $6,692 a month. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $82,750, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

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

BLS estimated 20,400 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.95 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $57,290 at the 10th percentile to $65,050 at the 25th, $102,320 at the 75th, and $117,160 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $80,300, an estimated $61,371 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,360 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $18,929 (an effective rate of 23.6%).

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

On the median annual salary of $80,300, gross monthly income is $6,692. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,114 per month (or $2,360 every two weeks).

Is $80,300 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $80,300, the median salary for high school teachers is 63.4% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 13% 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.