Washington State Salaries: Tech, Boeing, and Beyond

Washington State punches well above its weight in wage rankings. A combination of Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and a thriving startup ecosystem has made the Seattle metro one of the top labor markets in the country for tech and engineering workers — without a state income tax.

Software and Tech

The Seattle metro is home to Amazon's global headquarters and Microsoft's campus in Redmond. The resulting competition for software engineers, data scientists, and product managers has pushed tech wages in the area to among the highest nationally — competitive with Silicon Valley, but with lower housing costs and no state income tax.

Aerospace

Boeing's historic presence in the Puget Sound region means aerospace engineers, production workers, and machinists in Washington earn above-average wages compared to the national occupation medians. The Machinists Union (IAM) has historically negotiated strong contracts at Boeing facilities.

Healthcare and Services

Washington's high overall wage floor lifts wages across the service economy as well — retail, food service, and healthcare wages in Seattle consistently exceed their national medians, partly due to the city's high minimum wage.

Browse Washington Wages

Explore all occupations and wages in Washington State on WageDepth.