Average annual salary in Washington nears $100,000 a year
Salaries in Washington continued to climb in 2024.
The statewide average annual wage reached $95,160 last year, according to the Washington Employment Security Department. That's 6.8% higher than in 2023, when the average was $89,138.
The increase was driven by a 0.7% boost in employment and a 7.5% hike in total wages and salaries, which grew by nearly $23.5 billion in 2024, the department reported.
Statewide, the average weekly wage rose from $1,714 in 2023 to $1,830 in 2024, according to figures in a department press release.
Preliminary data for each county will not be available until later this month. Those numbers will make clear how much King County's higher-paid workforce pushes up the average.
In 2023, King County recorded an average salary of just over $120,000, followed by Snohomish County at nearly $79,000. Wahkiakum County had the lowest at roughly $43,000 with Okanogan County slightly higher. Overall, in 23 counties, the average yearly salary was under $60,000.
The 2024 figures are used by the Employment Security Department to calculate minimum and maximum unemployment benefits for new claims opened on or after July 6.
Starting that day, the minimum weekly benefit for new claims will increase by $24 to $366. The amount is 20% of the average weekly wage. The maximum weekly benefit will increase by $73 to $1,152. It is calculated as the greater of $496 or 63% of the average weekly wage.
No one can receive a weekly benefit amount that exceeds their average weekly wage.
The department also uses the average annual wage to calibrate maximum benefits for Paid Family and Medical Leave claims that are filed starting Jan. 1, 2026. Weekly payments will top out at $1,647 with the minimum amount remaining at $100.
Historically, Washington's annual wage exceeds the national average. The state Office of Financial Management reported in 2022 that Washington had an $83,665 average salary compared to the national mark of $70,282.
In September, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Washington's average weekly wage of $1,781 ranked higher than every other state.
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