Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators Salary in Washington, DC

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median $84,590 a year — 8% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $64,117 take-home, or $5,343 a month.

Median salary
$84,590
$40.67 per hour
Typical range
$55,960 – $125,050
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Washington, DC
2,600
0.40× national concentration
▲1.8%
Pay trend: The median for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators in Washington, DC rose from $83,060 (May 2024) to $84,590 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 0.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators salary in Washington, DC. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators in Washington, DC
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$64,117
per year · effective tax rate 24.2%
$5,343Monthly
$2,672Twice a month
$2,466Every 2 weeks
$30.83Hourly
  • Federal income tax$9,780
  • Social Security (6.2%)$5,245
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,227
  • District of Columbia income tax$4,222
  • Take-home pay$64,117

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 8.50% 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 →

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators pay by experience in Washington, DC

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$55,960$26.90$44,952$3,746
25th percentile$65,590$31.53$52,065$4,339
Median (50th)$84,590$40.67$64,117$5,343
75th percentile$104,330$50.16$76,327$6,361
90th percentile (top earners)$125,050$60.12$89,077$7,423

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, District of Columbia resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $84,590 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 claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators's $64,117 take-home pay has the buying power of $58,886 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,990
37% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,223
42% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,353
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators jobs are less concentrated in Washington, DC than nationally (location quotient 0.40), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators, adjusted for cost of living

Washington, DC ranks #19 of 30 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Baltimore, MD $98,700$73,941$70,766
2San Antonio, TX $81,830$66,397$70,102
3Nashville, TN $78,030$63,724$66,146
4Kansas City, MO $78,090$61,033$65,951
5San Francisco, CA $105,340$76,000$65,737
6Houston, TX $78,820$64,280$65,173
7Dallas, TX $82,890$67,143$65,131
8Milwaukee, WI $79,770$62,101$64,063
19Washington, DC$84,590$64,117$58,886

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 30 metros →

About the job: claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Review settled claims to determine that payments and settlements are made in accordance with company practices and procedures. Confer with legal counsel on claims requiring litigation. May also settle insurance claims.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-5.5% (declining)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators make in Washington, DC?

The median claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators salary in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area is $84,590 a year, or about $40.67 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $65,590 and $104,330.

What is a claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators’s take-home pay in Washington, DC?

On the median $84,590 salary, a single filer living in District of Columbia takes home about $64,117 a year ($5,343 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,222 in District of Columbia taxes in 2026.

Is Washington, DC a good place to work as a claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators?

Pay here is 8% above the national median of $78,000. Local prices are 8.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $58,886 would in a typical U.S. city. Washington, DC ranks #19 of 30 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators 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) — 37% of a median claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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