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

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

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, retail salespersons earned a median of $36,610 a year ($17.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 66,920 of these jobs there. That is 48% below the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,640 and $47,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,500 in take-home pay.

Retail salesperson pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance

Median salary

$36,610$17.60 per hour · $3,051 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,640$14.73/hr
25th percentile$34,350$16.52/hr
75th percentile$39,730$19.10/hr
90th percentile$47,800$22.98/hr
Jobs in this metro66,920Location quotient 0.85 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here48% belowAll-jobs median $71,060
Against District of Columbia5% belowStatewide median $38,500
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational median $35,410

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.

Retail salesperson salary in Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes

$36,610
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,610
Net 83%
Fed 6%
DC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,500After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,542Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,173Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,213 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$1,097 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,801 / yr

Retail salespersons 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 retail salespersons earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile$14.73/hr$2,553$30,640$26,061
25th percentile$16.52/hr$2,863$34,350$28,819
MedianMedian$17.60/hr$3,051$36,610$30,500
75th percentile$19.10/hr$3,311$39,730$32,819
90th percentile$22.98/hr$3,983$47,800$38,819

Is $36,610 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for retail salespersons 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 household28.9%of area median income

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

Retail salesperson pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $36,610 in May 2025, about $3,051 a month or $17.60 an hour. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $38,500, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was $17.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.98.

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

BLS estimated 66,920 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 21.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.85 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $30,640 at the 10th percentile to $34,350 at the 25th, $39,730 at the 75th, and $47,800 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $36,610, an estimated $30,500 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,173 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,110 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

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

On the median annual salary of $36,610, gross monthly income is $3,051. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,542 per month (or $1,173 every two weeks).

Is $36,610 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $36,610, the median salary for retail salespersons is 28.9% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 48% 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.