Average Salaries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Explore salaries across 710 occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $81.4K, +32.3% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates. Coverage: 710 occupations and 2,058,740 total jobs in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
How the metro compares
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Nurse Anesthetists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237.3K | 410 |
| Computer And Information Research Scientists | $232.1K | 2,070 |
| Compensation And Benefits Managers | $214.2K | 400 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $212.5K | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208.8K | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208.2K | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201.8K | 40 |
| Advertising And Promotions Managers | $193.0K | 140 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $183.6K | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180.8K | 9,460 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 72,730 | $169.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 53,140 | $46.7K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 51,590 | $38.3K |
| Retail Salespersons | 48,310 | $39.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 37,250 | $118.6K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 34,600 | $101.4K |
| General And Operations Managers | 30,890 | $141.3K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 30,370 | $51.1K |
| Cashiers | 30,030 | $39.4K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 29,750 | $44.4K |
What Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Avionics Technicians | 17.24 | $109.0K |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, And Systems Assemblers | 9.89 | $94.9K |
| Special Effects Artists And Animators | 7.50 | $142.7K |
| Ship Engineers | 6.67 | $96.4K |
| Tapers | 5.86 | $73.1K |
| Aerospace Engineers | 5.79 | $174.1K |
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | 5.59 | $69.7K |
| Statisticians | 5.22 | $103.0K |
| Religious Workers, All Other | 5.18 | $60.3K |
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, And Illustrators | 4.84 | $83.3K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $76.5K | Natural Sciences Managers |
Common salary questions for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.