District of Columbia · Tax CPA Salary
Tax Manager Salary in District of Columbia
What tax managers 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) → tax manager role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Tax Manager make in District of Columbia?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 District of Columbia wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The tax manager figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
Tax Manager · estimated median
$172,900
Modeled median for a tax manager 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 tax managers, 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 tax manager figure on this page — $172,900 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (1.55×), because BLS publishes no tax manager-specific wage.
Comparison
Tax Manager 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.
Tax Manager — District of Columbia
estimated median
$172,900
+55.0%Tax Manager — national
estimated median
$129,700
+16.3%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 tax manager estimate sits +55.0% above the verified District of Columbia accountant median and +33.3% versus the national tax manager estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
District of Columbia market
What shapes tax manager 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.
A tax manager leads engagements across compliance and planning — individual, corporate, partnership, and international tax — reviewing work, managing client relationships, and supervising associates and seniors. It sits above tax senior on the public-accounting tax track and below senior manager and partner.
Pay reflects specialization and firm size: international, M&A/transaction, and SALT expertise command a premium, and Big 4 and national firms pay above regional and local firms. Busy-season intensity drives overtime and strong raises for top performers.
Role ladder
Tax Manager 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 $87,000 (Staff Accountant) to $435,000 (Chief Financial Officer). Tax Manager sits at $172,900.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $435,000 | ||
| Partner | $401,500 | ||
| Director of Finance | $273,200 | ||
| Senior Manager | $228,600 | ||
| Controller | $217,500 | ||
| Tax Manager | $172,900 | ||
| Audit Manager | $172,900 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $158,400 | ||
| Audit Senior | $122,700 | ||
| Tax Senior | $120,500 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $113,800 | ||
| Audit Associate | $92,600 | ||
| Tax Associate | $91,500 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $87,000 |
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
Tax Manager pay by experience in District of Columbia
District of Columbia's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the tax manager level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $148,700 | $166,500 |
| 2–4 years | $166,000 | $185,900 |
| 5–7 years | $186,700 | $209,100 |
| 8–12 years | $207,400 | $232,300 |
| 13–20 years | $228,200 | $255,600 |
| 20+ years | $245,500 | $275,000 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Tax Manager 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 | $193,600 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $181,500 | +0.9% |
| Regional firm | $169,400 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $159,000 | -11.6% |
| Industry / corporate | $179,800 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Tax Manager 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 tax manager column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Tax Manager medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $102,140 | $158,300 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The tax manager 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 tax manager weighing a move.
Compare states
Tax Manager pay in other states
Where tax managers are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51.
Tax Manager salary in District of Columbia — FAQ
- How much does a Tax Manager make in District of Columbia?
- A tax manager in District of Columbia earns an estimated $172,900 per year, typically ranging from $128,700 to $243,000+. That is +33.3% versus the national tax manager estimate of $129,700. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no tax manager-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 tax managers 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 Tax Manager?
- District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +33.3% versus the national median. Tax managers 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 Tax Manager in District of Columbia earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the tax manager estimate of $172,900 runs +55.0% 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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