Receptionists and Information Clerks Salary in Washington, DC (2024)
Receptionists and Information Clerks in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median of $39,760 per year ($19.12 per hour) based on 17,510 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +6.8% against the national median of $37,230 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where receptionists and information clerks actually sit across the pay range in Washington, DC, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.54 | $32,320 | |
| 25th percentile | $17.19 | $35,750 | |
| Median | $19.12 | $39,760 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $22.27 | $46,330 | |
| 90th percentile | $26.25 | $54,590 | |
| Average (mean) | $20.09 | $41,790 |
How Washington, DC compares
The local median of $39,760 runs +6.8% above the US median of $37,230 for this occupation; it pays 41.9% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($68,430); within the metro it ranks 640th of 703 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC — this occupation | $39,760 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $37,230 | +6.8% |
| Washington, DC — all occupations | $68,430 | -41.9% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $48,060 | -17.3% |
The location quotient of 0.90 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 0.9%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 640th of 703 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Washington, DC
To put $39,760 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 640th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $225,340 | 390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224,330 | 1,900 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,030 | 1,740 |
| Psychiatrists | $219,970 | 570 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $218,490 | 230 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $199,990 | 150 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $191,880 | 20,770 |
| Lawyers | $191,880 | 48,170 |
| Physicians, All Other | $191,880 | 11,170 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $189,770 | 300 |
Where receptionists and information clerks earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $34,970 to $48,060. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $48,060 | 10,000 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,300 | 13,440 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,300 | 29,090 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $43,520 | 16,550 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $43,070 | 89,130 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $42,070 | 8,470 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $41,720 | 5,610 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $41,600 | 6,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $39,760 | 17,510 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,990 | 6,310 |
See the full national picture on the Receptionists and Information Clerks salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for receptionists and information clerks in Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $39,760, or $19 per hour. That means half of the receptionists and information clerks working in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $41,790.
What do the highest and lowest paid receptionists and information clerks in Washington, DC earn?
The bottom 10% earn $32,320 or less, while the top 10% earn $54,590 or more — a spread of $22,270 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $35,750 and $46,330.
Is receptionists and information clerks pay in Washington, DC above the local average?
Yes, it is 41.9% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $68,430. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Washington, DC pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $39,760 the metro median is 6.8% higher than the US median of $37,230 for receptionists and information clerks. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $34,970 to $48,060.
How many receptionists and information clerks work in Washington, DC?
BLS counts about 17,510 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 5.62 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 0.90 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 3.7%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.