Salaries & Cost of Living in Seattle, Washington
Home to Amazon and Microsoft, Seattle combines top-tier tech compensation with zero state income tax, balanced against premium housing costs. Discover salary benchmarks, wage percentiles, state income tax deductions, and housing costs across 20+ high-demand professions in Seattle.
Seattle Cost of Living by Expense Category
Normalized cost index (100 = U.S. National Average).
Key City Advantages & Living Factors
Climate: Marine Oceanic (Mild / Rainy)Role Salaries in Seattle
Explore 10th to 90th percentile salary benchmarks and estimated monthly take-home pay in Seattle.
| Job Title | Category | Median Base Pay | Est. Net Take-Home | View Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Product Manager | Product | $231,250/yr | ~$15,609/mo | View |
| Senior Software Engineer | Engineering | $218,750/yr | ~$14,766/mo | View |
| Product Manager | Product | $177,500/yr | ~$11,981/mo | View |
| DevOps & Cloud Engineer | Engineering | $175,000/yr | ~$11,813/mo | View |
| Data Scientist | Data | $172,500/yr | ~$11,644/mo | View |
| Backend Engineer | Engineering | $168,750/yr | ~$11,391/mo | View |
| Software Engineer | Engineering | $165,000/yr | ~$11,138/mo | View |
| Frontend Engineer | Engineering | $155,000/yr | ~$10,463/mo | View |
| Product Designer | Design | $152,500/yr | ~$10,294/mo | View |
| Growth Marketer | Marketing | $143,750/yr | ~$9,703/mo | View |
| UX / UI Designer | Design | $140,000/yr | ~$9,450/mo | View |
| Marketing Manager | Marketing | $135,000/yr | ~$9,113/mo | View |
| Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $131,250/yr | ~$8,859/mo | View |
| QA & Test Automation Engineer | Engineering | $127,500/yr | ~$8,606/mo | View |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $120,000/yr | ~$8,100/mo | View |
| Technical Recruiter | Human Resources | $117,500/yr | ~$7,931/mo | View |
| Data Analyst | Data | $115,000/yr | ~$7,763/mo | View |
| Customer Success Manager | Customer Support | $111,250/yr | ~$7,509/mo | View |
| SEO Specialist | Marketing | $106,250/yr | ~$7,172/mo | View |
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Relocation Comparisons from Seattle
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Frequently Asked Questions: Living & Working in Seattle
What is considered a good salary in Seattle?
In Seattle, an annual salary between $90,000 and $140,000 is generally considered very comfortable for a single professional, easily covering median 1-bedroom rental costs ($2,180/mo) while allowing significant savings thanks to 0% state income tax.
How do salaries in Seattle compare to the U.S. national average?
On average, compensation in Seattle is 25% above the U.S. national baseline across technology, product, and engineering roles.
What are state income taxes in Seattle (WA)?
Seattle has 0% state income tax, which increases your net take-home pay by 4% to 10% compared to states like California or New York.
What is the average rent in Seattle?
The median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Seattle, Washington is currently around $2,180 per month.
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