Helpers--Electricians in District of Columbia
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$39,257
after federal, FICA and District of Columbia tax
Tax takes
$9,043
18.7% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$35,429
District of Columbia costs more than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in District of Columbia — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$48,300
Kept after tax
$39,257
Worth in national money
$35,429
State rank
8
of 47 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- District of Columbia is one of the better-paying states for helpers--electricians. The middle earner takes $48,300, which ranks 8 of 47 states with published figures. That is about 13.19% above the national middle.
- Measured against other jobs in District of Columbia, this one sits low: 330 of 390 occupations with published pay, in the bottom quarter.
- District of Columbia is an expensive state, and the adjusted figure shows it. From $48,300 the take-home is $39,257; in national-average money that behaves like $35,429. The average lands at $47,870, below the middle of the range.
- District of Columbia ranks 8 of 47 states publishing a median for helpers--electricians, at $48,300 — about 13.19% above the national median. A state's position on nominal pay is the figure wage tables report and the least informative of the three on this page, because it survives neither the tax adjustment nor the price adjustment intact for most occupations.
- Helpers--electricians occupies position 330 of 390 in District of Columbia's occupational wage distribution, in the bottom quartile. National ranking and local ranking answer different questions and frequently disagree; this is the one a resident experiences.
- Take-home for helpers--electricians in District of Columbia, on $48,300, is $39,257; deflated by the state's price level, $35,429. ⚠️ The deflator is statewide, so it understates the erosion in the state's metropolitan areas and overstates it outside them. At $47,870 the mean undershoots the median, an inversion of the usual skew.
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Pay band: Helpers--Electricians
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $40,810 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $48,300 |
| Top tenth earn over | $54,210 |
| This salary | $48,300 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in District of Columbia | $39,257 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $40,989 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$6,751 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $46,144 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$8,165 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 111 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Half the people doing this work in District of Columbia earn less than $48,300. The published range is $40,810 up to $54,210, so an individual figure can sit a long way from the middle in either direction.
- One filer, no dependants, no pension contributions — that is the household behind District of Columbia's $39,257, worked from $48,300. That is on purpose. It lets states be compared with each other, not with each other's family circumstances. Local city taxes are left out. Locally this work ranks 330 of 390.
- The wage data and the price data come from different years. That is how each is published. The price adjustment behind $35,429 uses one figure for the whole of District of Columbia. A city and a rural county there can differ by more than two states do. Out of 390 occupations the state publishes, this one sits at 330.
- Reported values are medians; for helpers--electricians in District of Columbia the tenth-to-ninetieth percentile band is $40,810 to $54,210. Neither the median nor the band is an offer rate, and neither accounts for hours, shift differentials or overtime.
- The District of Columbia take-home of $39,257, on $48,300 for work ranking 330 of 390 locally, models the simplest household deliberately: holding it constant is what makes the interstate comparison meaningful. It also means the absolute figure overstates liability for most real filers, and municipal income taxes are outside the model entirely. The occupation ranks 330 of 390 in the state.
- Wage and price series carry different reference periods, each published on its own schedule. The real-terms figure of $35,429, worked from $48,300, deflates by a statewide parity that conceals substantial intra-state variation, concentrated in housing — so it supports comparison between states rather than the pricing of a move to a particular District of Columbia address, on work sitting at 330 of 390 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
Most of these jobs pay within a close range — $40,810 at the tenth percentile, $54,210 at the ninetieth.
Does a bigger number here mean I am better off?
A larger wage in a dearer place is not automatically more. Adjusted for local prices, this pay behaves like $35,429 of national purchasing power.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; District of Columbia then takes its own share, leaving $39,257.
Why is this job missing from some states?
The survey withholds small samples rather than publish an unreliable number. Pay appears for 47 states here, and a missing state means too few reports, not no jobs.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($40,810 to $54,210) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to District of Columbia rather than a national figure.
How does the state price level affect real compensation?
District of Columbia's regional price parity sits above the national average, so nominal wages overstate purchasing power. Deflating take-home by the state price level gives $35,429 in national-average terms. ⚠️ RPPs are an all-items index; housing parities vary far more widely than the headline figure.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $39,257 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and District of Columbia income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Why does this occupation lack published estimates in every state?
BLS suppresses estimates failing disclosure or reliability criteria. This occupation has published state-level estimates in 47 of the fifty-one jurisdictions. Suppression reflects sample size and confidentiality rules, and cannot be read as an absence of employment.