Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area · also Tacoma, Bellevue

Average Salary in Seattle, WA

The average salary in Seattle, Washington is $91,790 a year ($44.13 an hour) across all jobs, and the median is $72,610, according to BLS estimates for May 2025 covering the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area. That is 32% more than the U.S. average ($69,770) and 10% more than the Washington average ($83,330).

$91,790average salary
$72,610median salary
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
2,086,210jobs in the metro
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Average salary by job family in Seattle

Management$184,140
Computer and Mathematical$151,750
Legal$139,860
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical$138,050
Architecture and Engineering$125,940
Business and Financial Operations$112,940
Life, Physical, and Social Science$107,250
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media$89,530
Construction and Extraction$87,590
Educational Instruction and Library$82,050
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair$78,620
Community and Social Service$75,420
Protective Service$73,780
Sales and Related$67,960
Production$67,160
Transportation and Material Moving$64,110
Office and Administrative Support$62,960
Personal Care and Service$57,000
Healthcare Support$53,990
Food Preparation and Serving Related$50,770
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance$50,740
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry$50,700
BLS OEWS May 2025, all employers in the metro area.

Highest-paying jobs in Seattle

Most common jobs in Seattle and what they pay

JobJobsAverage salaryMedian
Software Developers92,770$174,920$167,280
Home Health and Personal Care Aides54,670$49,500$48,210
Fast Food and Counter Workers49,190$42,260$39,150
Retail Salespersons46,620$45,020$42,080
Registered Nurses39,900$126,390$128,260
Business Operations Specialists, All Other38,800$110,050$101,920
Stockers and Order Fillers30,860$47,470$46,830
Cashiers30,470$44,720$44,210
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand29,490$49,650$47,740
General and Operations Managers29,370$169,740$146,030
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Cost of living in Seattle

Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average, with a BEA price parity of 111.1 for 2024. The average local salary of $91,790 therefore buys what $82,595 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. A typical home is worth $750,279, 6.7 times the median household income of $112,594.

$750,279typical home value
$112,594median household income
111.1BEA price parity
4,021,467metro population

Take-home pay in Seattle

Salary levelGrossAfter taxPer month
25th percentile wage$49,160$41,680$3,473
Median wage$72,610$59,911$4,993
Average wage$91,790$73,404$6,117
75th percentile wage$112,650$88,079$7,340

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Compare Seattle with another city

Cost of living: Seattle vs other cities

Salaries for every job in Seattle

Management36 jobs
Computer and Mathematical20 jobs
Legal7 jobs
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical65 jobs
Architecture and Engineering33 jobs
Business and Financial Operations31 jobs
Life, Physical, and Social Science37 jobs
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media32 jobs
Construction and Extraction37 jobs
Educational Instruction and Library58 jobs
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair43 jobs
Community and Social Service17 jobs
Protective Service20 jobs
Sales and Related20 jobs
Production76 jobs
Transportation and Material Moving37 jobs
Office and Administrative Support49 jobs
Personal Care and Service26 jobs
Healthcare Support17 jobs
Food Preparation and Serving Related16 jobs
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance9 jobs
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry5 jobs

Jobs paid by the hour in Seattle

For 3 jobs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area BLS publishes an hourly wage only, because the work is rarely full-time all year (gigs, seasons, performances). An annual figure would overstate what most people earn, so we show the hourly rate.

JobAverage per hourMedian per hourJobs
Musicians and Singers$66.51$46.55540
Dancers$33.73$31.35120
Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other$24.45$19.89150

Average salary in nearby cities

Average salary in Washington

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Salary in Seattle: questions

What is a good salary in Seattle?

Half of all workers in the Seattle metro earn less than $72,610 and the average is $91,790. Earning more than $112,650 puts you in the top quarter of local wages.

How much do you need to earn in Seattle to match a $69,770 salary elsewhere?

About $77,537, because prices here are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1).

What are the highest-paying jobs in Seattle?

Cardiologists ($565,440), Anesthesiologists ($553,600), Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric ($506,820).

What is the average salary in Tacoma?

Tacoma is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, where the average salary is $91,790 a year and the median $72,610. BLS does not publish separate wage figures for Tacoma, so these metro figures are the closest official guide.

What is the average salary in Bellevue?

Bellevue is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, where the average salary is $91,790 a year and the median $72,610. BLS does not publish separate wage figures for Bellevue, so these metro figures are the closest official guide.

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