HR Assistant salary in Washington-Arlington, DC-VA
BLS publishes pay for this job in only one area of the District of Columbia, and it is Washington-Arlington. The median is $59,120 a year1, about level with the District of Columbia median of $59,050 and 16.8% above the US median of $50,610. Nationally that is #11 of 384 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,610 HR assistants work here.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Washington-Arlington against the District of Columbia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | $43,200 | $59,120 | $77,420 | |
| District of Columbia | $38,990 | $59,050 | $80,330 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
HR assistants at the 90th percentile earn $77,420, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.8. The middle half of HR assistants in Washington-Arlington earns $50,450–$66,940. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,490 wide, wider than in the District of Columbia as a whole ($16,420) and the US ($15,770), so what a HR assistant earns in Washington-Arlington depends more on the employer.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,200 | $3,600 | $20.77 | $55,742 |
| 25th percentile | $50,450 | $4,204 | $24.25 | $65,097 |
| Median | $59,120 | $4,927 | $28.42 | $76,284 |
| 75th percentile | $66,940 | $5,578 | $32.18 | $86,374 |
| 90th percentile | $77,420 | $6,452 | $37.22 | $99,897 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,820 a year in pay and about $10,090 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,670 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,610 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Washington-Arlington, and the District of Columbia median of $59,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Washington-Arlington
At the $59,120 median, a local hire costs about $76,284 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,164 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for HR assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Washington-Arlington
Of the 17 roles we track in Washington-Arlington, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($59,290) and administrative assistants ($53,660). Project Coordinator is the highest at $127,030.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +7.3% | 2,010 | |
| Bookkeeper | +0.3% | 18,550 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 1,610 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -9.2% | 37,010 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -18.3% | 18,960 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Washington-Arlington (+16.8%), between bookkeepers (+17.0%) and administrative assistants (+12.9%). The typical role here is at +11.6%, so, measured against the US, HR assistants cost more in Washington-Arlington than the area's general pay level would suggest. HR assistants hold 0.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Washington-Arlington, 0.8% across the District of Columbia and 0.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Washington-Arlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Washington-Arlington is #7 of 382 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside the District of Columbia, Boulder and Corvallis pay just above Washington-Arlington and Sacramento-Roseville and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks just below. All four are within $980 a year of the median in Washington-Arlington. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Washington-Arlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +2.2% | 1,480 | jobs | |
| Corvallis, OR | +1.3% | 40 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | +1.0% | 80 | pay | |
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | this area | 1,610 | ||
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -0.9% | 640 | pay | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -1.7% | 190 | pay | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | -11.8% | 1,630 | jobs | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -14.0% | 1,630 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Washington-Arlington, DC-VA?
About $76,284 a year at the median, or $6,357 a month: $59,120 in pay plus about $17,164 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for HR assistants in Washington-Arlington?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,200, the 90th $77,420, and the middle half earned $50,450 to $66,940.
How many HR assistants work in Washington-Arlington?
BLS counts about 1,610 in the May 2025 survey.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in Washington-Arlington?
Yes: $5,460 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,120 and $53,660.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.