Living on minimum wage · District of Columbia
Living on Minimum Wage in District of Columbia
A full-time job at District of Columbia’s $18.40 minimum wage pays $38,272 a year. After federal taxes that is about $2,737 a month, the highest take-home of the 51 states and DC.
- Take-home a month $2,737 single, after federal tax
- Take-home a year $32,842 86% of $38,272
- Real hourly pay $15.79 after tax, of $18.40
- Work for $100 of goods 6.7 hrs incl. 6% sales tax
From gross pay to take-home
| Year | Month | Every 2 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $38,272 | $3,189 | $1,472 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,503 | −$209 | −$96 |
| Social Security & Medicare | −$2,928 | −$244 | −$113 |
| Take-home | $32,842 | $2,737 | $1,263 |
Figures assume 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, a single filer and the 2026 standard deduction. DC income tax is not included, so an actual paycheck here will be somewhat lower. For a different situation, use the take-home pay calculator.
Compared with the federal minimum
A full-time worker in District of Columbia takes home about $18,915 more a year than someone paid the $7.25 federal minimum, who keeps $13,926. That is the highest take-home of any state or DC. See this state’s rate history and rank on minimum wage in District of Columbia.
What spending costs in hours of work
The combined sales tax in Washington is 6%, so $100 of taxable goods costs $106.00 at the register. At $15.79 of take-home pay an hour, that takes about 6.7 hours of work, the shortest of the 51 states and DC.
Rates differ across the District; see sales tax in District of Columbia for other cities.
Two earners
A couple who both work full-time at minimum wage and file jointly earn $76,544 and take home about $5,474 a month after federal taxes.
How big a mortgage minimum wage supports
Lenders commonly cap housing costs at 28% of gross pay. At this week’s 6.76% 30-year rate, that lets one full-time earner here borrow about $137,543 and a two-earner couple about $275,085, before property tax and insurance. See what a $275,000 mortgage costs month to month.
Minimum wage in District of Columbia: take-home FAQ
What is take-home pay on minimum wage in District of Columbia?
Full-time at $18.40 an hour, 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, earns $38,272 a year. After $2,503 of federal income tax and $2,928 of Social Security and Medicare, a single filer takes home about $32,842, or $2,737 a month. DC income tax is not included, so an actual paycheck here will be somewhat lower.
How much federal tax does a minimum wage worker pay in District of Columbia?
About $2,503 of federal income tax and $2,928 of Social Security and Medicare, using 2026 brackets and the standard deduction for a single filer. Together that is 14% of gross pay.
How long does a minimum wage worker in District of Columbia work to buy $100 of goods?
The combined sales tax in Washington is 6%, so $100 of taxable goods costs $106.00 at the register. At a take-home rate of $15.79 an hour, that is about 6.7 hours of work, the shortest of the 51 states and DC.
Can you afford a mortgage on minimum wage in District of Columbia?
Keeping principal and interest to 28% of gross pay at this week’s 6.76% 30-year rate, one full-time minimum wage earner could borrow about $137,543. Two full-time earners could borrow about $275,085, before property tax and insurance.
2026 state minimum wage, 2026 federal brackets for a single filer with the standard deduction, and Social Security and Medicare at 7.65%. State and local income taxes are not included . Sales tax is the combined rate for one downtown ZIP code in Washington.
Data: U.S. Department of Labor; Internal Revenue Service; State departments of revenue, via APIVerve. Our tables, charts and text are licensed CC BY-NC 4.0: share and adapt them for non-commercial use as long as you credit us. For commercial use or bulk data, use the APIVerve API. See the data terms. Cite as: Digest Your Finances, “Living on Minimum Wage by State”, https://digestyourfinances.com/studies/living-on-minimum-wage/district-of-columbia/ — based on U.S. Department of Labor; Internal Revenue Service; State departments of revenue. CC BY-NC 4.0.
