Executive Assistant salary and cost of hiring in District of Columbia

The median executive assistant in District of Columbia earned $90,850 a year in May 2025^[1], 18.6% above the US median of $76,590. That puts District of Columbia at #1 of 51 states for this job.

$7,571median pay per month in District of Columbia

$10,815employer cost per month with benefits

$800–$1,100per month, remote through Stafka

4,560people in this job in District of Columbia

BLS occupation 43-6011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

	Range	10th	Median	90th
District of Columbia		$64,890	$90,850	$121,000
United States		$50,560	$76,590	$109,850

10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of executive assistants in District of Columbia earns $77,990–$102,310; the top tenth earns $121,000 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry^[2]. At the District of Columbia median that makes about $129,786 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$129,786 local hire in District of Columbiamedian wage plus benefits, year one

$14,488 remote hire through Stafka$950/month, placement fee and Deel, year one

Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,500–$3,000^[3] with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month^[4]. Change any number below to match your plan.

$129,786local hire, first year incl. benefits

$14,488remote hire, first year incl. fee

$115,298difference in year one

89%of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in District of Columbia

Area	Median	75th percentile	Jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$90,320	$102,340	12,960

What an executive assistant does

An executive assistant takes the founder's or a senior manager's admin load: inbox, calendar, travel, reports and follow-ups, so the executive spends time on decisions instead of logistics.

Neighbours in the ranking

State	Median	vs District of Columbia
District of Columbia	$90,850	+0.0%
New Jersey	$89,520	-1.5%
California	$89,000	-2.0%

Questions

How much does an executive assistant earn in District of Columbia?

The median was $90,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $77,990 to $102,310.

What does it cost to employ an executive assistant in District of Columbia?

About $129,786 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in District of Columbia do executive assistants earn the most?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, with a median of $90,320 a year.

Sources

BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.htm
BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.