Last Updated :
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July 3, 2019
Washington Occupational Statistics- Total Employees in the State: 3,259,150
- 1 Year Change in Employment: -229,460 (-6.6%)
- Average Annual Pay in the State: $59,369
- 1 Year Change in Annual Pay: $6,858 (13.1%)
Occupation Categories
There are 3,259,150 employed workers in Washington. The occupation with the greatest number of workers is Office and Administrative Support Occupations, which employs 442,170 people. This represents 13.6% of all workers in the state. The next 2 occupations that have the most workers are Sales and Related Occupations and Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations, which employ 307,380 and 294,260 respectively.
| Occupation Category | # Employees | % of State |
|---|
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 442,170 | 13.6% |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 307,380 | 9.4% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 294,260 | 9.0% |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 233,020 | 7.1% |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 217,510 | 6.7% |
| Education Training and Library Occupations | 188,000 | 5.8% |
| Production Occupations | 177,600 | 5.4% |
| Management Occupations | 165,590 | 5.1% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 165,250 | 5.1% |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 164,830 | 5.1% |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 161,140 | 4.9% |
| Installation Maintenance and Repair Occupations | 129,080 | 4.0% |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 120,640 | 3.7% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 89,490 | 2.7% |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 87,340 | 2.7% |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 75,110 | 2.3% |
| Protective Service Occupations | 66,080 | 2.0% |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 48,550 | 1.5% |
| Arts Design Entertainment Sports and Media Occupations | 48,520 | 1.5% |
| Life Physical and Social Science Occupations | 35,780 | 1.1% |
| Legal Occupations | 21,540 | 0.7% |
| Farming Fishing and Forestry Occupations | 20,270 | 0.6% |
Occupation Changes Since Last Year
The occupation with the largest increase in the number of workers is
Business and Financial Operations Occupations, which currently employs 217,510 people. In the last year, the number of workers has increased from 203,780 an increase of 13,730 or 6.7%. The next 2 occupations that have the next largest change in workers are
Construction and Extraction Occupations and
Computer and Mathematical Occupations, which increased 8,990 and 7,430 respectively.
The occupation with the largest decrease in the number of workers is
Production Occupations, which currently employs 177,600 people. In the last year, the number of workers has decreased from 177,920 or 0.2%.
Occupation Changes Since 2009
The occupation with the largest increase in the number of workers, since the recession ended in 2009, is
Business and Financial Operations Occupations, which currently employs 217,510 people. Since 2009, the number of workers has increased from 136,700 an increase of 80,810 or 59.1%. The next 2 occupations that have the next largest change in workers are
Computer and Mathematical Occupations and
Management Occupations, which increased 52,870 and 52,410 respectively.
The occupation with the largest decrease in the number of workers is
Life Physical and Social Science Occupations, which currently employs 35,780 people. Since 2009, the number of workers has decreased from 44,460 or 19.5%. The next 2 occupations that have the next largest decreases in workers are
Architecture and Engineering Occupations and
Office and Administrative Support Occupations, which decreased 4,680 and 860 respectively.
| Occupation Category | # Employees | % Change |
|---|
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 217,510 | 59.1% |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 164,830 | 47.2% |
| Management Occupations | 165,590 | 46.3% |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 120,640 | 38.6% |
| Farming Fishing and Forestry Occupations | 20,270 | 35.5% |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 87,340 | 22.3% |
| Installation Maintenance and Repair Occupations | 129,080 | 21.1% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 294,260 | 21.0% |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 233,020 | 19.4% |
| Arts Design Entertainment Sports and Media Occupations | 48,520 | 18.8% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 165,250 | 16.3% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 89,490 | 15.2% |
| Protective Service Occupations | 66,080 | 14.4% |
| Education Training and Library Occupations | 188,000 | 13.7% |
| Production Occupations | 177,600 | 11.8% |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 161,140 | 11.6% |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 307,380 | 6.5% |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 48,550 | 6.2% |
| Legal Occupations | 21,540 | 3.5% |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 442,170 | -0.2% |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 75,110 | -5.9% |
| Life Physical and Social Science Occupations | 35,780 | -19.5% |
Detailed Occupations
The detailed occupation with the greatest number of workers is
Retail Salespersons, which employs 103,220 people. This represents 3.2% of all workers in the state. The next 2 occupations that have the most workers are
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers Including Fast Food and
Office Clerks General, which employ 80,590 and 73,370 respectively.
The Top 10 Occupations in Washington are:| Occupation Category | # Employees | % of State |
|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 103,220 | 3.2% |
| Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers Including Fast Food | 80,590 | 2.5% |
| Office Clerks General | 73,370 | 2.3% |
| Laborers and Freight Stock and Material Movers Hand | 71,690 | 2.2% |
| Cashiers | 67,720 | 2.1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 58,300 | 1.8% |
| Registered Nurses | 56,290 | 1.7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 54,770 | 1.7% |
| Software Developers Applications | 53,860 | 1.7% |
| General and Operations Managers | 47,770 | 1.5% |
Detailed Occupations Since 2009
The detailed occupation with the largest increase in the number of workers is
Laborers and Freight Stock and Material Movers Hand, which currently employs 71,690 people. Since 2009, the number of workers has increased from 43,070 an increase of 28,620 or 66.4%. The next 2 detailed occupations that have the next largest change in workers are
Customer Service Representatives and
Personal Care Aides, which increased 28,100 and 27,200 respectively.
The detailed occupation with the largest decrease in the number of workers is
Bookkeeping Accounting and Auditing Clerks, which currently employs 31,970 people. In the last year, the number of workers has decreased from 44,180 or 27.6%. The next 2 occupations that have the next largest decreases in workers are
Counter Attendants Cafeteria Food Concession and Coffee Shop and
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, which decreased 11,600 and 9,750 respectively.
The Top 10 Detailed Occupations With The Largest Increase Since 2009 are:| Occupation Category | # Employees | % Change |
|---|
| Insurance Appraisers Auto Damage | 280 | 833.3% |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 1,630 | 462.1% |
| Radio Cellular and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers | 400 | 400.0% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 17,250 | 346.9% |
| Avionics Technicians | 2,320 | 329.6% |
| Food Batchmakers | 4,840 | 317.2% |
| Carpet Installers | 1,200 | 287.1% |
| Residential Advisors | 1,740 | 286.7% |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | 8,190 | 270.6% |
| Forensic Science Technicians | 550 | 243.8% |
The 10 Occupations With The Largest Decrease Since 2009 are:| Occupation Category | # Employees | % Change |
|---|
| Woodworkers All Other | 30 | -93.2% |
| Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers | 30 | -88.5% |
| Psychiatric Aides | 80 | -87.9% |
| Tank Car Truck and Ship Loaders | 70 | -87.7% |
| Cutters and Trimmers Hand | 50 | -86.1% |
| Welding Soldering and Brazing Machine Setters Operators and Tenders | 70 | -85.7% |
| Farm and Home Management Advisors | 90 | -84.2% |
| Telemarketers | 1,050 | -83.4% |
| Cooks All Other | 220 | -82.3% |
| Craft Artists | 30 | -81.3% |
Occupation Pay
The occupation with the highest annual pay is
Management Occupations, which pays an average of $127,360 per year. This represents 114.5% above the state average pay. The next 2 occupations that have the highest average pay are
Computer and Mathematical Occupations and
Legal Occupations, which pay $108,660 and $102,810 per year, respectively.
| Occupation Category | Avg Pay | vs State Avg |
|---|
| Management Occupations | $127,360 | 214.5% |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | $108,660 | 183.0% |
| Legal Occupations | $102,810 | 173.2% |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | $95,660 | 161.1% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | $91,840 | 154.7% |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | $80,560 | 135.7% |
| Life Physical and Social Science Occupations | $75,290 | 126.8% |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | $60,810 | 102.4% |
| Protective Service Occupations | $59,340 | 100.0% |
| Arts Design Entertainment Sports and Media Occupations | $58,560 | 98.6% |
| Education Training and Library Occupations | $56,560 | 95.3% |
| Installation Maintenance and Repair Occupations | $55,300 | 93.1% |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | $51,740 | 87.2% |
| Production Occupations | $47,560 | 80.1% |
| Sales and Related Occupations | $46,280 | 78.0% |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | $44,410 | 74.8% |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | $43,470 | 73.2% |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | $37,900 | 63.8% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | $35,230 | 59.3% |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | $34,290 | 57.8% |
| Farming Fishing and Forestry Occupations | $34,240 | 57.7% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | $31,670 | 53.3% |
Occupation Pay Changes Since 2009
The occupation with the largest increase in the average annual pay, since the recession ended in 2009, is
Computer and Mathematical Occupations, which currently pays an average of $108,660 per year. Since 2009, pay has increased from $84,250 an increase of $24,410 or 29.0%. The next 2 occupations that pay the most to their workers are
Legal Occupations and
Architecture and Engineering Occupations, which increased $19,220 and $17,590 respectively.
| Occupation Category | Annual $ | % Change |
|---|
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | $108,660 | 29.0% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | $31,670 | 28.5% |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | $34,290 | 25.0% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | $35,230 | 24.9% |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | $37,900 | 23.5% |
| Production Occupations | $47,560 | 23.1% |
| Legal Occupations | $102,810 | 23.0% |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | $44,410 | 22.9% |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | $43,470 | 22.6% |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | $95,660 | 22.5% |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | $80,560 | 22.3% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | $91,840 | 20.7% |
| Sales and Related Occupations | $46,280 | 20.4% |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | $60,810 | 20.2% |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | $51,740 | 19.0% |
| Installation Maintenance and Repair Occupations | $55,300 | 16.9% |
| Education Training and Library Occupations | $56,560 | 15.9% |
| Farming Fishing and Forestry Occupations | $34,240 | 15.7% |
| Management Occupations | $127,360 | 15.2% |
| Protective Service Occupations | $59,340 | 14.9% |
| Arts Design Entertainment Sports and Media Occupations | $58,560 | 12.8% |
| Life Physical and Social Science Occupations | $75,290 | 12.0% |
Detailed Occupation Annual Compensation
The detailed occupation that pays their workers the most is
Anesthesiologists, which pays $268,580 per year. This represents 452.4% above the state average of $59,369. The next 2 occupations that pay their workers the most are
Obstetricians and Gynecologists and
Psychiatrists, which pay $259,620 and $245,990 respectively.
Highest Paid OccupationsThe Top 10 Paying Occupations in Washington are:
| Occupation Category | Ann'l Pay | % of State |
|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $268,580 | 452.4% |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $259,620 | 437.3% |
| Psychiatrists | $245,990 | 414.3% |
| Surgeons | $240,910 | 405.8% |
| Physicians and Surgeons All Other | $239,080 | 402.7% |
| Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers | $237,150 | 399.5% |
| Family and General Practitioners | $226,600 | 381.7% |
| Chief Executives | $220,730 | 371.8% |
| Internists General | $220,150 | 370.8% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $195,610 | 329.5% |
Lowest Paid OccupationsThe 10 Lowest Paying Occupations in Washington are:
| Occupation Category | Ann'l Pay | % of State |
|---|
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers All Other | $25,550 | 43.0% |
| Motion Picture Projectionists | $26,420 | 44.5% |
| Food Servers Nonrestaurant | $27,040 | 45.5% |
| Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers Including Fast Food | $27,410 | 46.2% |
| Dishwashers | $27,610 | 46.5% |
| Counter Attendants Cafeteria Food Concession and Coffee Shop | $27,720 | 46.7% |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $27,810 | 46.8% |
| Forest and Conservation Workers | $28,070 | 47.3% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $28,180 | 47.5% |
| Gaming Cage Workers | $28,350 | 47.8% |
This page was created and is maintained by Kurt Tietjen, Founder of Stavera, High Peak Media & HomeGearWorks.com. Kurt is an executive, data scientist and software engineer who holds an MBA in Management Information Systems. In 2010, he partnered with scientists at Northwestern University to launch The Street Wire. This was one of the first mainstream uses of what would become “Narrative Science”, an artificial intelligence platform specializing in natural language generation. You can contact Kurt on LinkedIn here.