Security Guards
Median $30.87 an hour in Washington, D.C. · 15,880 jobs
Washington, D.C. · 2026 take-home pay
$31 an hour after taxes in Washington, D.C.
At $31 an hour in Washington, D.C. you keep about $24.64 of every hour — $985 a week, $4,270 a month or $51,245 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Washington, D.C. income tax. Washington, D.C. has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $18.40 an hour.
Where $31 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $64,480 | $1,240 | $31.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,558 | −$107 | −$2.67 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,998 | −$77 | −$1.92 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$935 | −$18 | −$0.45 |
| Washington, D.C. income tax | −$2,745 | −$53 | −$1.32 |
| Take-home pay | $51,245 | $985 | $24.64 |
Effective tax rate 20.5% · federal bracket 12% · Washington, D.C. bracket 6.5%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,240.00 | $985.48 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,480.00 | $1,970.96 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,686.67 | $2,135.21 |
| Monthly (12) | $5,373.33 | $4,270.42 |
$31 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Washington, D.C. for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $31 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $620 | $525 | $27,316 |
| 30 hours a week | $930 | $756 | $39,302 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,240 | $985 | $51,245 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,473 | $1,138 | $59,157 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,705 | $1,281 | $66,635 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $31 an hour good pay in Washington, D.C.?
- Minimum wage: $31 an hour is 1.7 times Washington, D.C.'s minimum wage of $18.40 an hour. From July 1, 2026.
- Among Washington, D.C. workers: It's about the 31st percentile of hourly pay in Washington, D.C. (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 31 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $44.01 an hour.
- Local prices: Washington, D.C.'s price level is 109.9% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $51,245 a year buys about what $46,628 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,612 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $2,135 a month for needs, $1,281 for wants and $854 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Washington, D.C. that pay about $31 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Washington, D.C. is within 4% of $31 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
Median $29.88 an hour in Washington, D.C. · 2,350 jobs
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Median $31.34 an hour in Washington, D.C. · 1,790 jobs
Social Science Research Assistants
Median $31.41 an hour in Washington, D.C. · 1,560 jobs
Postal Service Mail Carriers
Median $30.89 an hour in Washington, D.C. · 930 jobs
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Median $30.85 an hour in Washington, D.C. · 830 jobs
How Washington, D.C. compares on $31 an hour
Washington, D.C. ranks 39th of 51 for take-home pay on $31 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
How the federal tax on $64,480 ($31 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $64,480 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $48,380. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $35,980 | $4,318 |
| Total | $48,380 | $5,558 |
How the Washington, D.C. income tax on $64,480 ($31 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $64,480 of D.C. wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $48,380.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4% | $10,000 | $400 |
| 6% | $30,000 | $1,800 |
| 6.5% | $8,380 | $545 |
| Total | $48,380 | $2,745 |
Common questions
How much is $31 an hour after taxes in Washington, D.C.?
About $24.64 for every hour you work, or $51,245 a year at 40 hours a week ($64,480 gross). Taxes take about 20.5% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $31 an hour a week after taxes in Washington, D.C.?
About $985 a week at 40 hours, from $1,240 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,971.
How much is $31 an hour a month after taxes in Washington, D.C.?
About $4,270 a month at 40 hours a week, from $5,373 gross.
Is $31 an hour good pay in Washington, D.C.?
$31 an hour is 1.7 times Washington, D.C.'s minimum wage of $18.40 an hour. It's about the 31st percentile of hourly pay in Washington, D.C. (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 31 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Washington, D.C. is $44.01. After taxes and local prices, $51,245 a year buys about what $46,628 would at national-average prices.
Is Washington, D.C. a high-tax place for $31 an hour?
It ranks 39th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $31 an hour. The most you'd keep is $53,990 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $49,219 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Washington, D.C.
- $27 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $28 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $29 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $30 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $32 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $33 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $34 an hour in Washington, D.C.
- $35 an hour in Washington, D.C.
$31 an hour in every state · $60,000 a year in Washington, D.C. · $65,000 a year in Washington, D.C. · Washington, D.C. paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Washington, D.C.'s income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.