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

How much does a medical secretary make in Washington-Arlington, DC?

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, medical secretaries earned a median of $48,280 a year ($23.21 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 18,960 of these jobs there. That is 32% below the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $39,710 and $61,750; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,176 in take-home pay.

Medical secretary pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance

Median salary

$48,280$23.21 per hour · $4,023 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$39,710$19.09/hr
25th percentile$46,710$22.46/hr
75th percentile$57,680$27.73/hr
90th percentile$61,750$29.69/hr
Jobs in this metro18,960Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here32% belowAll-jobs median $71,060
Against District of Columbia2% belowStatewide median $49,180
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational median $45,930

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.

Medical secretary salary in Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes

$48,280
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$48,280
Net 81%
Fed 7%
DC 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,176After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,265Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,507Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,614 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$1,797 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,693 / yr

Medical secretaries 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 medical secretaries earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile$19.09/hr$3,309$39,710$32,804
25th percentile$22.46/hr$3,893$46,710$38,009
MedianMedian$23.21/hr$4,023$48,280$39,176
75th percentile$27.73/hr$4,807$57,680$46,152
90th percentile$29.69/hr$5,146$61,750$49,157

Is $48,280 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical secretaries 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 household38.1%of area median income

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

Medical secretary pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions

What is the median salary for medical secretaries in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The BLS median annual wage for medical secretaries in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $48,280 in May 2025, about $4,023 a month or $23.21 an hour. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $49,180, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical secretaries in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The median hourly wage for medical secretaries in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was $23.21 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.09 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.69.

How many medical secretaries work in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS estimated 18,960 jobs for medical secretaries in the metro in May 2025, or 6.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical secretaries in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS wage estimates for medical secretaries in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $39,710 at the 10th percentile to $46,710 at the 25th, $57,680 at the 75th, and $61,750 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical secretaries take home after taxes in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On a median gross salary of $48,280, an estimated $39,176 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,507 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,104 (an effective rate of 18.9%).

How much do medical secretaries make per month in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On the median annual salary of $48,280, gross monthly income is $4,023. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,265 per month (or $1,507 every two weeks).

Is $48,280 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $48,280, the median salary for medical secretaries is 38.1% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 32% below 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.