Hourly pay after taxes in the District of Columbia
$20 an hour in the District of Columbia comes to $1,291.07 every two weeks after taxes, for a single person working full time.
Updated for 2026Checked Oct 29, 2026 against IRS and D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue sourcesHow we check
Take-home pay by hourly wage, 2026
| Wage | Two weeks | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $18.40 | $1,195.91 | $2,591 | $31,094 |
| $20.00 | $1,291.07 | $2,797 | $33,568 |
| $22.00 | $1,409.74 | $3,054 | $36,653 |
| $25.00 | $1,586.98 | $3,438 | $41,261 |
| $30.00 | $1,882.38 | $4,078 | $48,942 |
| $35.00 | $2,147.02 | $4,652 | $55,823 |
| $40.00 | $2,394.42 | $5,188 | $62,255 |
| $50.00 | $2,889.22 | $6,260 | $75,120 |
Every column after the wage is take-home pay. Each row assumes 40 hours a week all year, one paycheck every two weeks, single, no dependents, and no benefits taken out. The monthly and yearly columns are that paycheck times 26. Use the paycheck calculator for your own hours and deductions.
These figures are for someone who lives in the District of Columbia. People who live in Maryland, Virginia, or any other state and only work in the District do not pay District income tax. See the District of Columbia's local tax rules, or try the paycheck calculator.
What comes out of an hourly paycheck
At $25 an hour, a two-week paycheck in the District of Columbia starts at $2,000.00 and ends at $1,586.98.
| Federal income tax | $156.15 |
| Social Security | $124.00 |
| Medicare | $29.00 |
| DC income tax (estimate) | $103.87 |
The District taxes its residents' income at graduated rates, from 4 percent on the first $10,000 of taxable income up to 10.75 percent over $1 million. That tax, the District's own, joins federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare on the check. The tax line is marked as an estimate because the District's tax office has not published withholding tables, so employers work from the rate schedule. There is no disability or paid leave deduction.
The District has no separate city or county layer, so the single estimate line is the whole local picture.
What changes your number
Residency decides everything here. The District taxes only the people who live in it, so a worker who lives in Maryland or Virginia and only works in the city pays no District income tax, and this table does not describe them. For a resident, the graduated rate means each step up the table meets a higher rate than the last.
Because the tax line is an estimate, treat the take-home figures as close, not exact. Your pay stub shows what your employer really withholds, and your return settles the difference.
Hours matter too. At $20 an hour and 30 hours a week instead of 40, a two-week paycheck in the District of Columbia comes to $993.67.
The minimum wage in the District of Columbia
The minimum wage in the District of Columbia is $18.40 an hour, and a full-time worker at $18.40 takes home about $2,591 a month. It took effect on July 1, 2026 and moves each July 1 with the Washington-area Consumer Price Index.
Sources and checks
Checked on Oct 29, 2026. Source: D.C. Code Section 47-1806.03(a)(11) (code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/47-1806.03, saved as data/sources/district-of-columbia/dc-code-47-1806.03.html, read Oct 29, 2026): "In the case of taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021, there is imposed on the taxable income of every resident a tax determined in accordance with the following table: Not over $10,000 4% of the taxable income; Over $10,000 but not over $40,000 $400, plus 6% of the excess over $10,000; Over $40,000 but not over $60,000 $2,200, plus 6.5% of the excess over $40,000; Over $60,000 but not over $250,000 $3,500, plus 8.5% of the excess over $60,000; Over $250,000 but not over $500,000 $19,650, plus 9.25% of the excess over $250,000; Over $500,000 but not over $1,000,000 $42,775, plus 9.75% of the excess over $500,000; Over $1,000,000 $91,525, plus 10.75% of the excess over $1,000,000."
Disability: The District's paid family leave program is paid for by employers, not by a deduction from the worker's pay. D.C. Code Section 32-541.03(a) (code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-541.03, saved as data/sources/district-of-columbia/dc-code-32-541.03.html, read Oct 29, 2026): "A covered employer shall contribute an amount equal to 0.75% of the wages of each of its covered employees to the District in a manner prescribed by the Mayor." D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Paid Family Leave, "Employer Information" (dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov/employer-information/, saved as data/sources/district-of-columbia/dc-pfl-employer-information.html): "PFL Tax Rate Table (Calendar Year 2026)" shows 0.75% for every 2026 quarter; "Employers" page (dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov/employers/, saved as data/sources/district-of-columbia/dc-paid-family-leave-employers.html): benefits "are funded by a quarterly payroll tax" paid by the employer, "much like the unemployment insurance tax."
Local taxes: The District is a single taxing jurisdiction with no counties or cities beneath it; its one individual income tax is the resident tax in D.C. Code Section 47-1806.03 (saved as data/sources/district-of-columbia/dc-code-47-1806.03.html, read Oct 29, 2026). No separate local income tax exists.
Minimum wage: D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Wage and Hour, Public Notice "District of Columbia Minimum Wage Increase" (does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/publication/attachments/2026%20Minimum%20Wage%20Increase%20Notice.pdf, saved as data/sources/district-of-columbia/does-2026-minimum-wage-increase-notice.pdf, read Oct 29, 2026): "Beginning July 1, 2026, the minimum wage in the District of Columbia will increase from $17.95 per hour to $18.40 per hour for all workers, regardless of size of employer"; "As of July 1, 2026, the base minimum wage for tipped employees will increase from $10.00 per hour to $10.30." The rate rises each July 1 with the Washington-area Consumer Price Index; the July 1, 2027 figure is not yet announced.
Federal withholding: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A and its "2026 Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems and Withholding on Periodic Payments of Pensions and Annuities," pages 10 to 12. Fetched directly from irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf and transcribed Oct 28, 2026.
Every figure above comes from the sources listed here. How we check our numbers.
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