Accountants & Auditors salary in Washington, DC
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Washington, DC: $97,320/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $61,540 – $160,690 · about 45,080 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($74,290) by +$23,030 (+31%).
What it's really worth in Washington
With Washington's cost of living at 110 (US=100), that $97,320 has the buying power of about $88,842 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $119,803 · median home $583,013 · median rent $2,416/mo.
How Washington ranks for this job
On raw pay, Washington, DC is 4th of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Washington's cost of living is applied, it ranks 5th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Washington sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Washington
A median home in Washington, DC costs $583,013 — about 6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,416/mo works out at 30% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Washington.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Washington | Rent vs Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +17% | 1.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +7% | 1.3× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +7% | 1.4× |
| Seattle, WA | $95,580 | −2% | 0.9× |
Who hires accountants & auditors around Washington
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- U.S. Department of Defense · Government
- Capital One · Finance
Other jobs in Washington
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.