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

How much does a human resources specialist make in Washington-Arlington, DC?

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, human resources specialists earned a median of $100,830 a year ($48.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 24,450 of these jobs there. That is 42% above the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $60,940 and $158,940; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $74,068 in take-home pay.

Human resources specialist pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance

Median salary

$100,830$48.48 per hour · $8,403 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$60,940$29.30/hr
25th percentile$76,070$36.57/hr
75th percentile$131,510$63.23/hr
90th percentile$158,940$76.41/hr
Jobs in this metro24,450Location quotient 1.33 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% aboveAll-jobs median $71,060
Against District of Columbia9% belowStatewide median $110,970
Against the U.S.33% aboveNational median $75,940

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.

Human resources specialist salary in Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes

$100,830
$40,000$205,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$100,830
Net 73%
Fed 13%
DC 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$74,068After all taxes
Monthly deposit$6,172Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,849Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate26.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$13,353 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$5,696 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$7,714 / yr

Human resources specialists 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 human resources specialists earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile$29.30/hr$5,078$60,940$48,559
25th percentile$36.57/hr$6,339$76,070$58,754
MedianMedian$48.48/hr$8,403$100,830$74,068
75th percentile$63.23/hr$10,959$131,510$92,850
90th percentile$76.41/hr$13,245$158,940$109,267

Is $100,830 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for human resources specialists 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 household79.6%of area median income

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

Human resources specialist pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions

What is the median salary for human resources specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The BLS median annual wage for human resources specialists in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $100,830 in May 2025, about $8,403 a month or $48.48 an hour. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $110,970, so the metro pays 9% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for human resources specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The median hourly wage for human resources specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was $48.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $29.30 an hour and one in ten earned more than $76.41.

How many human resources specialists work in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS estimated 24,450 jobs for human resources specialists in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.33 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for human resources specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS wage estimates for human resources specialists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $60,940 at the 10th percentile to $76,070 at the 25th, $131,510 at the 75th, and $158,940 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do human resources specialists take home after taxes in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On a median gross salary of $100,830, an estimated $74,068 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,849 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $26,762 (an effective rate of 26.5%).

How much do human resources specialists make per month in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On the median annual salary of $100,830, gross monthly income is $8,403. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $6,172 per month (or $2,849 every two weeks).

Is $100,830 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $100,830, the median salary for human resources specialists is 79.6% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 42% 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.