Seattle, WA Salary Guide (2024)
The median annual wage across all occupations in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $67,510, spread over roughly 2,082,610 jobs. This guide breaks that down across 80 detailed occupations with released wage data, from software developers down to the smallest job categories BLS can publish.
Salary by occupation in Seattle, WA
Ranked by median annual wage. Every row links to a full page with the local pay distribution, the percentile breakdown, and how the metro compares with the rest of the country.
| Occupation | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $81.41 | $169,340 | 72,730 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $22.45 | $46,690 | 53,140 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $18.42 | $38,310 | 51,590 |
| Retail Salespersons | $18.84 | $39,180 | 48,310 |
| Registered Nurses | $57.00 | $118,570 | 37,250 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $48.76 | $101,420 | 34,600 |
| General and Operations Managers | $67.92 | $141,280 | 30,890 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $24.56 | $51,090 | 30,370 |
| Cashiers | $18.93 | $39,370 | 30,030 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $21.35 | $44,410 | 29,750 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $22.91 | $47,660 | 29,400 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $21.55 | $44,820 | 27,680 |
| Project Management Specialists | $60.28 | $125,390 | 26,620 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $23.44 | $48,760 | 25,860 |
| Office Clerks, General | $25.79 | $53,640 | 25,540 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $47.78 | $99,380 | 24,880 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $28.07 | $58,390 | 21,300 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $33.31 | $69,290 | 21,220 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $24.03 | $49,980 | 20,120 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $37.86 | $78,750 | 20,100 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $22.20 | $46,180 | 19,820 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $49.23 | $102,390 | 19,720 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $39.01 | $81,150 | 18,570 |
| Management Analysts | $62.45 | $129,900 | 17,770 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $28.65 | $59,590 | 17,370 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $28.03 | $58,310 | 17,140 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $42.33 | $88,050 | 16,350 |
| Security Guards | $23.27 | $48,400 | 16,320 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48.06 | $99,970 | 15,410 |
| Carpenters | $36.90 | $76,760 | 15,210 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $45.08 | $93,760 | 14,930 |
| Nursing Assistants | $24.37 | $50,690 | 14,910 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $29.00 | $60,320 | 14,440 |
| Light Truck Drivers | $23.18 | $48,210 | 14,050 |
| Construction Laborers | $28.70 | $59,690 | 13,960 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $63.74 | $132,580 | 13,940 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $102.14 | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $35.21 | $73,230 | 13,510 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $21.78 | $45,300 | 13,440 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $25.00 | $52,000 | 12,450 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $22.75 | $47,310 | 12,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $50.79 | $105,650 | 11,970 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $20.18 | $41,980 | 11,930 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $26.79 | $55,730 | 11,900 |
| Bartenders | $23.79 | $49,490 | 10,870 |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | $41.34 | $85,980 | 10,580 |
| Counter and Rental Clerks | $23.34 | $48,550 | 10,570 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $64.53 | $134,230 | 10,400 |
| Medical Assistants | $28.29 | $58,850 | 9,950 |
| Financial Managers | $86.91 | $180,770 | 9,460 |
Median pay across these occupations runs from $38,310 to $212,450 — a 5.5× spread between the lowest- and highest-paid detailed occupations in the metro. The all-occupation median of $67,510 sits nearer the bottom of that range, because the largest job categories in most metros are also among the lower-paid ones.
Frequently asked questions about Seattle, WA pay
What is the median salary in Seattle, WA?
Across all occupations, the median annual wage in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $67,510. Total employment covered by the survey is about 2,082,610 jobs.
Which jobs pay the most in Seattle, WA?
The highest median wage in the metro belongs to software developers at $169,340, followed by home health and personal care aides ($46,690) and fast food and counter workers ($38,310).
How many occupations are covered for Seattle, WA?
This guide covers 80 detailed occupations with released wage data for the metro area, out of the 800+ detailed occupations the OEWS survey tracks nationally. Occupations with too few workers locally to publish a reliable estimate are excluded by BLS.
Is this enough to live on in Seattle, WA?
These are nominal wages — they are not adjusted for local housing, tax, or transport costs. A median that looks high in Seattle, WA may buy less than a lower median in a cheaper metro. Use the all-occupation median of $67,510 as the local baseline and compare any specific job against that, not against the national number.
About these figures
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. OEWS surveys employers, so it excludes self-employed workers and independent contractors, and it reports wages rather than total compensation. Occupations with too few workers locally to produce a reliable estimate are suppressed by BLS and therefore absent from this page.
Full detail in the methodology. Original data: bls.gov/oes.