District of Columbia · Finance Director Salary
Director of Finance Salary in District of Columbia
What finance directors earn in District of Columbia — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS District of Columbia wage ($111,530) → director of finance role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Director of Finance make in District of Columbia?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 District of Columbia wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The director of finance figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
Director of Finance · estimated median
$273,200
Modeled median for a director of finance in District of Columbia, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payDistrict of Columbia · verified BLS median
$111,530
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in District of Columbia — the base every estimate here is built on.
All District of Columbia payState rank (verified)
#1 of 51
Where District of Columbia ranks on the BLS-measured median for accountants & auditors.
Compare statesVerified baseline
The BLS measurement behind this page
BLS OEWS May 2025 reports wages for the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011) in District of Columbia — not for finance directors, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $71,470 | $34.36/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $83,050 | $39.93/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $111,530 | $53.62/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $156,730 | $75.35/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $185,220 | $89.05/hr | Top earners |
The District of Columbia figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $111,530 median across 9,810 accountants and auditors employed in District of Columbia.
Every director of finance figure on this page — $273,200 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (2.45×), because BLS publishes no director of finance-specific wage.
Comparison
Director of Finance pay in District of Columbia vs. national
District of Columbia's measured accountant median runs +33.3% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
Director of Finance — District of Columbia
estimated median
$273,200
+145.0%Director of Finance — national
estimated median
$205,000
+83.8%All accountants — District of Columbia
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$111,530
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
-25.0%
The director of finance estimate sits +145.0% above the verified District of Columbia accountant median and +33.3% versus the national director of finance estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
District of Columbia market
What shapes director of finance pay in District of Columbia
The District of Columbia is a single dense urban labor market dominated by the federal government, contractors, associations, and law and consulting firms. Pay sits well above the national median, paired with a high cost of living.
The director of finance directs strategy, FP&A, and accounting leadership — budgeting, forecasting, business partnering, and capital planning. The orientation is forward-looking where a controller’s is backward-looking, and it is the most common last stop before the CFO seat.
Scope varies widely by company size, so local pay tracks the corporate headquarters and mid-market employer base in a market more than it tracks the public-accounting firm presence. Markets with more company headquarters carry more of these seats, and more of the larger-scope versions of them.
Role ladder
Director of Finance vs. other roles in District of Columbia
Each level's multiplier applied to District of Columbia's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · District of Columbia
On District of Columbia's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $113,800 (Senior Accountant) to $435,000 (Chief Financial Officer). Director of Finance sits at $273,200.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $435,000 | ||
| Director of Finance | $273,200 | ||
| Controller | $217,500 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $158,400 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $113,800 |
Role multipliers applied to the BLS national median for Accountants & Auditors. The low–high band is a modeled typical range, not a guaranteed offer.
By experience
Director of Finance pay by experience in District of Columbia
District of Columbia's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the director of finance level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $235,000 | $263,200 |
| 2–4 years | $262,300 | $293,800 |
| 5–7 years | $295,100 | $330,500 |
| 8–12 years | $327,900 | $367,200 |
| 13–20 years | $360,700 | $404,000 |
| 20+ years | $388,000 | $434,600 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Director of Finance pay by employer type in District of Columbia
Big 4, national, regional, and local firms vs. industry — at this role's level on the verified state pay base. Estimate.
| Employer type | Est. manager-level pay | vs. industry |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 firm | $306,000 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $286,900 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $267,800 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $251,400 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $284,200 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Director of Finance pay across District of Columbia metros
BLS measures 1 metro area for accountants and auditors in District of Columbia. The measured median is verified; the director of finance column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Director of Finance medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $102,140 | $250,200 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The director of finance column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like District of Columbia
Ranked immediately around District of Columbia (#1 of 51) on the verified BLS accountant median — the closest comparables for a director of finance weighing a move.
Compare states
Director of Finance pay in other states
Where finance directors are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51.
Director of Finance salary in District of Columbia — FAQ
- How much does a Director of Finance make in District of Columbia?
- A director of finance in District of Columbia earns an estimated $273,200 per year, typically ranging from $203,400 to $383,900+. That is +33.3% versus the national director of finance estimate of $205,000. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no director of finance-specific wage, so we scale the BLS OEWS May 2025 verified District of Columbia median for accountants and auditors ($111,530) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about District of Columbia?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or finance directors specifically. For District of Columbia, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $111,530, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $83,050–$156,730 and 9,810 accountants and auditors employed in District of Columbia. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is District of Columbia a good state to work as a Director of Finance?
- District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +33.3% versus the national median. Finance directors are estimated to track that same gap. Weigh it against cost of living, the local mix of firms and industry employers, and remote roles that may pay to a national band.
- Does a Director of Finance in District of Columbia earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the director of finance estimate of $273,200 runs +145.0% versus the verified District of Columbia median for all accountants and auditors ($111,530). That gap is the modeled role premium, not a measured one: BLS reports one wage for the whole occupation, and senior and specialized roles sit above that broad-occupation midpoint.
How to read these numbers
National, state, and metro pay comes straight from the federal wage measurement for accountants & auditors — direct and source-backed, not scaled from anything.
Role, experience, CPA-license, and employer figures are modeled on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate — the federal data does not break those out, so we never present them as measurements.
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