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Washington vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Washington is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 2% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 0% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $71,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $65,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Washington runs 2% lower than Seattle overall, and housing runs about the same.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $98,000 in Washington. To keep $100,000 from Washington, you need about $102,000 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $71,000 in Washington, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $156,500 in Washington, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 3,856 in Washington from 540 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.8% in Washington, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
Washington and Seattle side by side
| Measure | Washington | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 111.1 | Washington |
| Housing price level | 151.1 | 151.3 | About the same |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $71,000 | $72,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $65,500 | $65,500 | About the same |
| Median pay in open postings | $156,500 | $182,500 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 61.2% | 61.3% | About the same |
| Open postings in our data | 3,856 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 540 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.8% | 4.8% | Washington |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 37.7% | 41.8% | Washington |
| Median days a posting has been open | 37 | 44 | Washington |
| Entry-level share of postings | 8.5% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.3% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -17.2% | -32.4% | Washington |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Washington prices sit 108.9 against a US average of 100 and Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 151.1 in Washington against 151.3 in Seattle. Utilities are 15% higher in Washington. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Washington | Seattle | Washington vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.9 | 111.1 | 2% lower |
| Housing | 151.1 | 151.3 | about the same |
| Goods | 104.8 | 104 | 1% higher |
| Utilities | 106.7 | 92.8 | 15% higher |
| Other services | 102.3 | 106.8 | 4% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Seattle to Washington; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Seattle | Matching salary in Washington | If only housing moved | Salary in Washington | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $51,000 | $50,000 |
| $75,000 | $73,500 | $75,000 | $75,000 | $76,500 | $75,000 |
| $100,000 | $98,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $102,000 | $100,000 |
| $125,000 | $122,500 | $125,000 | $125,000 | $127,500 | $125,000 |
| $150,000 | $147,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | $153,000 | $150,000 |
| $200,000 | $196,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 | $204,000 | $200,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $47.10 an hour in Washington for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 56 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Washington for 13 and higher in Seattle for 43. After local prices are counted, Washington comes out ahead in 16 and Seattle in 40. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is home health and personal care aides: $38,500 in Washington against $48,200 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Washington median | Seattle median | Washington adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $154,900 | $167,300 | $142,300 | $150,500 |
| General and Operations Managers | $156,500 | $146,000 | $143,700 | $131,400 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $104,800 | $101,900 | $96,200 | $91,700 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,600 | $42,100 | $33,600 | $37,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $39,200 | $31,800 | $35,200 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,500 | $48,200 | $35,400 | $43,400 |
| Registered Nurses | $102,700 | $128,300 | $94,300 | $115,400 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,800 | $46,500 | $34,800 | $41,800 |
| Cashiers | $35,500 | $44,200 | $32,600 | $39,800 |
| Management Analysts | $126,800 | $126,300 | $116,500 | $113,700 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $46,000 | $57,300 | $42,300 | $51,500 |
| Office Clerks, General | $51,900 | $53,300 | $47,600 | $48,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,900 | $46,800 | $34,800 | $42,100 |
| Project Management Specialists | $127,000 | $130,400 | $116,700 | $117,300 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,100 | $99,400 | $93,800 | $89,400 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Washington for 2 of 12 and higher in Seattle for 10. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Washington median listed pay | Postings | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $193,000 | 163 | $210,000 | 403 |
| Sales | $166,500 | 155 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Software engineering | $156,000 | 135 | $200,000 | 146 |
| Security and IT | $175,000 | 97 | $203,500 | 111 |
| Operations and logistics | $132,000 | 77 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Product and design | $164,500 | 38 | $190,000 | 129 |
| Marketing | $165,000 | 64 | $176,500 | 85 |
| Legal and compliance | $197,500 | 66 | $200,000 | 65 |
| Finance and accounting | $141,000 | 51 | $176,000 | 53 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $155,000 | 36 | $165,500 | 32 |
| Customer support and success | $156,500 | 29 | $173,000 | 36 |
| People and recruiting | $170,000 | 18 | $150,000 | 37 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Software & Technology is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Washington: Accenturefederalservices (266), Anduril Industries (184), Leidos (162), AstraZeneca (121), Veterinaryemergencygroupst (76).
- Largest posters in Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 37 days in Washington and 44 in Seattle; 37.7% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 8.5% of postings in Washington and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 45.1% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.3% of postings in Washington and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 17.2% below its February 2020 level in Washington and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 61.2% of postings in Washington list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Washington) stretches it further: $100,000 in Seattle has the buying power of about $98,000 in Washington.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $65,500).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $193,000 in Washington and $210,000 in Seattle, which is $177,500 and $189,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (151.1 vs 151.3) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington or Seattle?
Washington is cheaper. Overall prices run 2% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 0% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Washington to match $100,000 in Seattle?
About $98,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (108.9 in Washington, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Washington or Seattle?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $71,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $65,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Seattle has more: 4,540 against 3,856. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology