Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Salary in Washington, DC
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median $37,690 a year — 7% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,369 take-home, or $2,614 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary in Washington, DC. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,343
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,337
- Medicare (1.45%)$547
- District of Columbia income tax$1,095
- Take-home pay$31,369
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% 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 →
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks pay by experience in Washington, DC
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $34,760 | $16.71 | $29,190 | $2,433 |
| 25th percentile | $36,140 | $17.38 | $30,216 | $2,518 |
| Median (50th) | $37,690 | $18.12 | $31,369 | $2,614 |
| 75th percentile | $44,600 | $21.44 | $36,506 | $3,042 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $47,920 | $23.04 | $38,975 | $3,248 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, District of Columbia resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $37,690 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 hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks's $31,369 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,809 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks jobs are about as common in Washington, DC as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.86).
Best-paying cities for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks, adjusted for cost of living
Washington, DC ranks #15 of 20 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas, NV | $40,760 | $34,931 | $34,856 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $44,520 | $37,952 | $34,150 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $44,670 | $36,716 | $31,757 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $43,490 | $35,373 | $31,425 |
| 5 | Nashville, TN | $34,710 | $30,069 | $31,212 |
| 6 | Orlando, FL | $36,250 | $31,307 | $30,869 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,860 | $31,084 | $30,087 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $39,990 | $32,532 | $30,049 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $37,690 | $31,369 | $28,809 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 20 metros →
About the job: hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Accommodate hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests’ accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +1.8% (slower than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks make in Washington, DC?
The median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area is $37,690 a year, or about $18.12 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,140 and $44,600.
What is a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks’s take-home pay in Washington, DC?
On the median $37,690 salary, a single filer living in District of Columbia takes home about $31,369 a year ($2,614 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,095 in District of Columbia taxes in 2026.
Is Washington, DC a good place to work as a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks?
Pay here is 7% above the national median of $35,070. Local prices are 8.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,809 would in a typical U.S. city. Washington, DC ranks #15 of 20 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a hotel, motel, and resort desk 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) — 76% of a median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Washington, DC
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