Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary in Washington, DC
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median $59,290 a year — 17% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,412 take-home, or $3,951 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary in Washington, DC. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,935
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,676
- Medicare (1.45%)$860
- District of Columbia income tax$2,407
- Take-home pay$47,412
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.50% state
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro spans District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks pay by experience in Washington, DC
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $41,520 | $19.96 | $34,216 | $2,851 |
| 25th percentile | $49,210 | $23.66 | $39,934 | $3,328 |
| Median (50th) | $59,290 | $28.50 | $47,412 | $3,951 |
| 75th percentile | $66,580 | $32.01 | $52,788 | $4,399 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $79,390 | $38.17 | $60,901 | $5,075 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, District of Columbia resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,290 buys in Washington, DC
Prices in Washington, DC are 8.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks's $47,412 take-home pay has the buying power of $43,544 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs are less concentrated in Washington, DC than nationally (location quotient 0.67), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, adjusted for cost of living
Washington, DC ranks #27 of 95 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $62,890 | $50,807 | $48,592 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $66,130 | $52,378 | $47,434 |
| 3 | Hartford, CT | $59,470 | $48,213 | $46,924 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $54,320 | $45,826 | $46,730 |
| 5 | Bridgeport, CT | $61,390 | $49,669 | $46,479 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $60,460 | $50,760 | $45,675 |
| 7 | Des Moines, IA | $50,610 | $41,574 | $45,336 |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $50,940 | $41,653 | $45,010 |
| 27 | Washington, DC | $59,290 | $47,412 | $43,544 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 95 metros →
About the job: bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.
- Typical education
- Some college, no degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -5.6% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Washington, DC?
The median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area is $59,290 a year, or about $28.50 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $49,210 and $66,580.
What is a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks’s take-home pay in Washington, DC?
On the median $59,290 salary, a single filer living in District of Columbia takes home about $47,412 a year ($3,951 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,407 in District of Columbia taxes in 2026.
Is Washington, DC a good place to work as a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Pay here is 17% above the national median of $50,670. Local prices are 8.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $43,544 would in a typical U.S. city. Washington, DC ranks #27 of 95 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks afford rent in Washington, DC?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Washington, DC is $1,990 a month ($2,223 for two bedrooms) — 50% of a median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Washington, DC
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $90,320
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $77,220
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $76,400
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $64,250
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other — $61,760
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $60,990
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other — $57,160
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance — $57,160
- Billing and Posting Clerk — $55,920
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive — $53,660
- Office Clerks, General — $51,880
- Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $48,280