Washington State

Washington state’s average wage nearly reached $100K in 2025. What drove it

By Tri-City Herald staff
Construction workers use boom lifts to work on the exterior of the $47 million five-story AC Marriott Hotel in Kennewick.
Construction workers use boom lifts to work on the exterior of the $47 million five-story AC Marriott Hotel in Kennewick. Bob Brawdy bbrawdy@tricityherald.com
Kennewick, WA

The average annual wage in Washington is flirting with $100,000.

The Washington Employment Security Department reports the average annual wage rose to $99,810 in 2025 or $1,919 a week.

Annual figures are updated in June. The median wage was not calculated.

The increase in earned wages grew by nearly 5% in 2025.

Hanford workers install a high-pressure nozzle inside an underground tank storing radioactive waste to help mix and move the sludge to prepare to transfer it for treatment at the vitrification plant.
Hanford workers install a high-pressure nozzle inside an underground tank storing radioactive waste to help mix and move the sludge to prepare to transfer it for treatment at the vitrification plant. Department of Energy

The average wage is used to establish unemployment benefits opened after July 5, 2025, as well as paid family and medical leave, workers compensation and other benefits.

Wage growth was driven by advances in professional, scientific and technical services, where the average increase was 12.5%.

Workers stand near a Pratt & Whitney engine on a Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling jet built for the U.S. Air Force at Boeing's airplane production facility in Everett, Washington.
Workers stand near a Pratt & Whitney engine on a Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling jet built for the U.S. Air Force at Boeing's airplane production facility in Everett, Washington. David Ryder TNS

Finance and insurance wages increased an average of 8.7% and information industry wages rose 8.4%.

The increase came as the number of jobs covered by employment insurance dipped by 0.2% in 2025.

The average number of Washington workers covered by unemployment fell by 6,905 workers to 3,537,651, the state employment agency said.

This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Washington state’s average wage nearly reached $100K in 2025. What drove it."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER