Washington Salary Data
Salary comparisons across 1 metropolitan area in Washington. Washington has no state income tax.
Metro Areas in Washington
| Metro Area | COL Index | vs US Avg | State Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 162 | +62% | None |
Top Paying Occupations in Washington
| Occupation | WA Avg | National Avg | vs National | Top City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $170,000 | $127,433 | +$42,567 | Seattle, WA |
| Lawyer | $168,000 | $136,800 | +$31,200 | Seattle, WA |
| Registered Nurse | $115,000 | $80,900 | +$34,100 | Seattle, WA |
| Financial Analyst | $105,000 | $89,367 | +$15,633 | Seattle, WA |
| Electrician | $88,000 | $65,367 | +$22,633 | Seattle, WA |
Salary by City — Washington
4Working in Washington: The Bigger Picture
Washington hosts 1 major metropolitan area covered in this dataset: Seattle. The range of cost-of-living indices across these metros — 162 to 162 — shows how much intra-state variance matters. Costs are fairly uniform across metros — relocation within the state won't dramatically shift purchasing power.
Washington levies no state income tax, which is typically worth 4–8% of gross pay versus a high-tax state. For a $100,000 salary, that's roughly $6,000 more in take-home per year than a California or New York resident would see. States with no income tax often offset with higher property tax or sales tax, so factor those into the total tax picture.
Economic drivers shape which occupations pay well in Washington. The state's highest-paying of our featured occupations is Software Developer at an average of $170,000, concentrated in Seattle, WA. Metros with larger technology, healthcare, or financial-services concentrations tend to pay above national average for those roles; metros with primarily manufacturing, tourism, or agriculture tend to pay closer to national medians but with lower cost of living offsetting the difference.
For relocation planning, run the math both ways: (1) compare your current salary to the WA median for your occupation — if it's lower, you have negotiating leverage; and (2) compare the COL-adjusted figure, which tells you how much purchasing power you'd have. A 10% nominal pay cut in a 20% lower COL city is effectively a 12% raise in real terms. For a specific role, browse all occupations and drill into each one to see side-by-side city differences within Washington.