Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW)

King County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 39 counties in 2019, at $1,794. Okanogan County had the lowest, at $680. The median was $847 and the figure for Washington was $1,338. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest1,794King County

Lowest680Okanogan County

Median84739 counties

Washington1,338History

Map of counties, 2019

Under 770
770 to 810
810 to 850
850 to 970
970 to 1,000
1,000 and over

USD, 2019. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2019

USD. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Counties	2019 USD	Change on 2018
1	King County	1,794	+5.6%
2	Snohomish County	1,221	+3.3%
3	Benton County	1,100	+3.6%
4	Clark County	1,070	+4.6%
5	Thurston County	1,050	+5.3%
6	Pierce County	1,042	+4.8%
7	Kitsap County	1,037	+3.4%
8	Cowlitz County	1,005	+4.3%
8	Skagit County	1,005	+5.2%
10	Klickitat County	1,002	-1.3%
11	Whitman County	975	+4.2%
12	Pend Oreille County	969	+3.1%
13	Spokane County	966	+4%
14	Garfield County	965	+4.7%
15	Whatcom County	955	+3.9%
16	Walla Walla County	888	+3.5%
17	Columbia County	866	+8%
18	Lewis County	859	+3.6%
19	Grant County	850	+4.8%
20	Franklin County	847	+3.9%
21	Mason County	840	+3.7%
22	Kittitas County	836	+2.6%
23	Grays Harbor County	833	+4.9%
24	Chelan County	823	+5.5%
25	Island County	821	+4.9%
26	Jefferson County	812	+7.1%
27	Clallam County	809	+4.5%
28	Yakima County	798	+3.9%
29	Asotin County	795	+3.4%
30	Stevens County	781	+3.3%
31	Adams County	775	+2.4%
32	Ferry County	772	+4.5%
33	Lincoln County	771	+5%
34	Skamania County	752	+8.7%
35	Douglas County	748	+4.9%
36	Pacific County	735	+3.4%
37	Wahkiakum County	734	+2.2%
38	San Juan County	733	+4.4%
39	Okanogan County	680	+3.5%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages paid during the year divided by the average number of covered jobs and by 52, in US dollars, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.

In current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. An average per job, so part-time jobs pull it down and high earners pull it up; for the typical job use median_annual_wage. Wages include bonuses, stock options exercised, severance pay and tips, which makes counties with corporate headquarters stand out. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2019. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2019. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2019.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{bureau_counties_in_washington_by_2019,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2019. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2019.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2019/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

Which county has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

King County, with $1,794 in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?

Okanogan County, with $680 in 2019.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.