Average Salaries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Explore salaries across 702 occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $92.6K, +40.7% 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 2025 estimates. Coverage: 702 occupations and 2,063,900 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 Cardiologists. 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.
Highest-paid occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $662.8K | 130 |
| Anesthesiologists | $646.9K | 990 |
| Dermatologists | $641.2K | N/A |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $576.1K | 180 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $504.4K | 250 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $380.9K | N/A |
| Chief Executives | $370K | 2,060 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $343.1K | 150 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $340K | 850 |
| Neurologists | $331.1K | 130 |
Largest occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 92,770 | $167.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 54,670 | $48.2K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 49,190 | $39.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 46,620 | $42.1K |
| Registered Nurses | 39,900 | $128.3K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 38,800 | $101.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 30,860 | $46.8K |
| Cashiers | 30,470 | $44.2K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 29,490 | $47.7K |
| General And Operations Managers | 29,370 | $146K |
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.
Most concentrated occupations in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Avionics Technicians | 11.42 | $100.2K |
| Aerospace Engineering And Operations Technologists And Technicians | 10.39 | $125.2K |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, And Systems Assemblers | 8.77 | $110.5K |
| Web And Digital Interface Designers | 6.80 | $133.8K |
| Statisticians | 6.58 | $105.7K |
| Tapers | 6.47 | $80.3K |
| Aerospace Engineers | 6.03 | $163.6K |
| Ship Engineers | 5.17 | $108.9K |
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | 4.84 | $72.7K |
| Hoist And Winch Operators | 4.45 | $74.8K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $81.8K | Cardiologists |
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.