Salaries · United States · Washington
Salaries in Washington 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Washington is $62,990 a year ($30.28 an hour), 24% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 3rd highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Washington earn a median of $75,004 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Washington: the key figures
| Figure | Washington | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $62,990 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $83,330 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $38,670 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $153,630 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 3,550,970 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $75,004 ± $439 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $98,141 ± $414 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 107.0 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $17.13 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $62,990, a single person keeps about $51,919 a year ($4,327 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; Washington has no state income tax on wages and state payroll contributions. With prices 7% above the US average, $62,990 here buys what $58,900 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $62,990 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$5,379 |
| Social Security | -$3,905 |
| Medicare | -$913 |
| Paid Family and Medical Leave, employee share | -$508 |
| WA Cares (long-term care) | -$365 |
| Take-home a year | $51,919 |
What drives pay in Washington
Washington's pay is driven by software. Publishing, the BEA category that includes software publishers, made up 9.5% of the state's GDP in 2025, almost six times the US share of 1.6%, and data processing and hosting another 6.4% (US 1.9%). Software developers are the single most common job in Washington: 107,030 of them, on a median of $166,540. Aircraft add more high-paid work. Other transportation equipment, the BEA line that includes aircraft, was 2.8% of GDP (US 0.7%), and the state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council counted 85,100 aerospace jobs in September 2026. Retail trade is also unusually large, at 9.4% of GDP (US 5.9%).
Washington's all-jobs median is $62,990, 24% above the US and 3rd of the 50 states and DC. Pay is high at the bottom too: only one worker in ten earns less than $38,670 (US $31,200), and home health and personal care aides, 103,260 of them, earn a median of $47,730.
Tech hiring has stalled. The council's figures put software employment at 80,500 in September 2026, below the 82,800 at the end of 2024, while aerospace has grown from 80,400 at the end of 2025. Total employment fell by 9,800 in September, and unemployment was 4.8%, above the US rate of 4.2%. Earnings in Washington grew at an annualized 3.0% in the second quarter of 2026, behind the US average of 4.8%, even though real GDP grew 3.2% in 2025, faster than the US at 2.3%.
The highest-paid jobs in Washington
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | 1,540 | $499,990 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,100 | $340,010 |
| Chief Executives | 3,170 | $339,810 |
| Physicians, All Other | 6,300 | $307,170 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,270 | $292,900 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 3,450 | $229,900 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 16,960 | $209,370 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | 2,050 | $202,400 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 6,060 | $189,680 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,490 | $182,480 |
| Financial Managers | 12,930 | $174,840 |
| Sales Managers | 10,030 | $174,000 |
| Marketing Managers | 8,880 | $172,270 |
| Dentists, General | 3,240 | $169,730 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 1,800 | $169,120 |
The most common jobs in Washington
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 107,030 | $166,540 | $80.07 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 103,260 | $47,730 | $22.95 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 94,710 | $37,710 | $18.13 |
| Retail Salespersons | 84,850 | $39,560 | $19.02 |
| Registered Nurses | 69,260 | $124,200 | $59.71 |
| Cashiers | 61,050 | $38,720 | $18.62 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 57,370 | $44,620 | $21.45 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 51,650 | $100,360 | $48.25 |
| General and Operations Managers | 50,630 | $133,750 | $64.30 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 49,450 | $46,190 | $22.21 |
| Office Clerks, General | 49,050 | $50,500 | $24.28 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 47,380 | $45,520 | $21.89 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 45,400 | $56,130 | $26.98 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 43,420 | $49,120 | yearly pay only |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 40,530 | $64,760 | $31.13 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Washington
Official BLS medians for Washington; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 760 | $274,390 |
| Dentist | 3,240 | $169,730 |
| Software Engineer | 107,030 | $166,540 |
| Physician Assistant | 3,540 | $164,360 |
| Data Scientist | 9,600 | $163,350 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 620 | $162,570 |
| Pharmacist | 7,350 | $160,610 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 5,760 | $158,370 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 6,700 | $156,100 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 6,030 | $154,940 |
| Lawyer | 12,770 | $154,130 |
| Elevator Technician | 540 | $137,180 |
| Actuary | 360 | $134,720 |
| Dental Hygienist | 6,330 | $131,160 |
| UX Designer | 11,580 | $130,480 |
| Registered Nurse | 69,260 | $124,200 |
| Project Manager | 36,240 | $124,160 |
| Commercial Pilot | 890 | $117,730 |
| Financial Analyst | 8,820 | $107,210 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 4,480 | $98,980 |
| Accountant | 34,740 | $96,550 |
| Electrician | 19,380 | $95,220 |
| Compliance Officer | 11,130 | $88,790 |
| Plumber | 12,470 | $81,030 |
| Paralegal | 9,460 | $79,400 |
| HVAC Technician | 7,370 | $75,660 |
| Flight Attendant | $74,090 | |
| Welder | 7,720 | $63,020 |
Washington and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $62,990 | 107.0 | $58,900 |
| Idaho | $47,970 | 95.5 | $50,200 |
| Oregon | $57,000 | 103.4 | $55,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Washington, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council: Economic & Revenue Update, 14 Oct 2026
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- Salaries in the United States