OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The average salary in Washington has nearly eclipsed $100,000 a year.
The state Employment Security Department reports Washington’s average annual wage rose to $99,810 in 2025.
That was more than $4,000 higher than 2024, reflecting a nearly 5% increase. The state’s minimum unemployment benefit will now rise to $383 per week for new claims opened on or after July 5.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index—a key measure of inflation—grew by just over 3% in the Seattle area over the same period.
Washington saw its largest wage gains in the professional, scientific and technical services industry, along with finance, insurance and information.
It won’t be clear how much King County’s higher-paid workforce inflated the state average until county-level data is made available later this month.
