Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW)

King County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 39 counties in 2021, at $2,219. Okanogan County had the lowest, at $799. The median was $956 and the figure for Washington was $1,586. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest2,219King County

Lowest799Okanogan County

Median95639 counties

Washington1,586History

Map of counties, 2021

Under 880
880 to 930
930 to 960
960 to 1,100
1,100 to 1,200
1,200 and over

USD, 2021. 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, 2021

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	2021 USD	Change on 2020
1	King County	2,219	+9.4%
2	Snohomish County	1,329	+3.1%
3	Clark County	1,249	+7.5%
4	Benton County	1,212	+2.8%
5	Thurston County	1,195	+6.3%
6	Kitsap County	1,187	+2.1%
7	Pierce County	1,175	+5.4%
8	Cowlitz County	1,136	+5.7%
9	Skagit County	1,101	+5.8%
10	Spokane County	1,100	+6.6%
11	Klickitat County	1,090	+5.2%
12	Whitman County	1,085	+2.7%
13	Whatcom County	1,081	+5.4%
14	Garfield County	1,068	+4.8%
15	Columbia County	1,065	+14%
16	Grant County	1,006	+5.1%
17	Pend Oreille County	988	+0.6%
18	Lewis County	979	+5.6%
19	Walla Walla County	967	+3.9%
20	Franklin County	956	+5.9%
21	Island County	953	+7.1%
22	Chelan County	945	+6.4%
23	Mason County	942	+4.2%
24	Grays Harbor County	940	+5.3%
25	Jefferson County	936	+6.8%
26	Kittitas County	930	+4.1%
27	Clallam County	920	+5%
28	Ferry County	904	+8.3%
29	Skamania County	898	+6.3%
30	San Juan County	891	+7.1%
31	Asotin County	883	+5.7%
32	Stevens County	878	+5.9%
33	Yakima County	877	+3.2%
34	Douglas County	865	+6.3%
35	Adams County	863	+2.5%
36	Lincoln County	855	+5%
37	Pacific County	816	+3.3%
38	Wahkiakum County	801	+7.5%
39	Okanogan County	799	+5.7%

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/2021/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), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/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), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2021. 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), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2021.

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), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{bureau_counties_in_washington_by_2021,
  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), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2021. 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/2021/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), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2021.
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/2021/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 $2,219 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Okanogan County, with $799 in 2021.

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.