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

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

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, receptionists earned a median of $41,240 a year ($19.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 17,920 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $33,600 and $54,790; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $33,942 in take-home pay.

Receptionist pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance

Median salary

$41,240$19.83 per hour · $3,437 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$33,600$16.15/hr
25th percentile$36,410$17.50/hr
75th percentile$46,560$22.38/hr
90th percentile$54,790$26.34/hr
Jobs in this metro17,920Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $71,060
Against District of Columbia16% belowStatewide median $49,060
Against the U.S.8% aboveNational median $38,010

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.

Receptionist salary in Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes

$41,240
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$41,240
Net 82%
Fed 7%
DC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$33,942After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,829Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,305Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,769 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$1,374 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,155 / yr

Receptionists 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 receptionists earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile$16.15/hr$2,800$33,600$28,262
25th percentile$17.50/hr$3,034$36,410$30,351
MedianMedian$19.83/hr$3,437$41,240$33,942
75th percentile$22.38/hr$3,880$46,560$37,897
90th percentile$26.34/hr$4,566$54,790$44,016

Is $41,240 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for receptionists 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 household32.6%of area median income

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

Receptionist pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for receptionists in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $41,240 in May 2025, about $3,437 a month or $19.83 an hour. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $49,060, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for receptionists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was $19.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.15 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.34.

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

BLS estimated 17,920 jobs for receptionists in the metro in May 2025, or 5.7 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 receptionists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS wage estimates for receptionists in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $33,600 at the 10th percentile to $36,410 at the 25th, $46,560 at the 75th, and $54,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $41,240, an estimated $33,942 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,305 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,298 (an effective rate of 17.7%).

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

On the median annual salary of $41,240, gross monthly income is $3,437. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,829 per month (or $1,305 every two weeks).

Is $41,240 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $41,240, the median salary for receptionists is 32.6% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 42% 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.