Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW)

King County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 39 counties in 2023, at $2,317. Wahkiakum County had the lowest, at $827. The median was $1,059 and the figure for Washington was $1,703. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest2,317King County
Median1,05939 counties
Washington1,703History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 971 USDAsotin County: 989 USDBenton County: 1,289 USDChelan County: 1,042 USDClallam County: 1,010 USDClark County: 1,326 USDColumbia County: 1,290 USDCowlitz County: 1,240 USDDouglas County: 959 USDFerry County: 930 USDFranklin County: 1,059 USDGarfield County: 1,154 USDGrant County: 1,160 USDGrays Harbor County: 1,039 USDIsland County: 1,060 USDJefferson County: 1,056 USDKing County: 2,317 USDKitsap County: 1,301 USDKittitas County: 986 USDKlickitat County: 1,160 USDLewis County: 1,061 USDLincoln County: 954 USDMason County: 1,055 USDOkanogan County: 865 USDPacific County: 906 USDPend Oreille County: 1,121 USDPierce County: 1,289 USDSan Juan County: 1,000 USDSkagit County: 1,187 USDSkamania County: 972 USDSnohomish County: 1,517 USDSpokane County: 1,200 USDStevens County: 968 USDThurston County: 1,312 USDWahkiakum County: 827 USDWalla Walla County: 1,032 USDWhatcom County: 1,192 USDWhitman County: 1,170 USDYakima County: 958 USD
  • Under 960
  • 960 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,100
  • 1,100 to 1,200
  • 1,200 to 1,300
  • 1,300 and over
USD, 2023. 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, 2023

King County: 2,317 USDKing County2,317Snohomish County: 1,517 USDSnohomish County1,517Clark County: 1,326 USDClark County1,326Thurston County: 1,312 USDThurston County1,312Kitsap County: 1,301 USDKitsap County1,301Columbia County: 1,290 USDColumbia County1,290Benton County: 1,289 USDBenton County1,289Pierce County: 1,289 USDPierce County1,289Cowlitz County: 1,240 USDCowlitz County1,240Spokane County: 1,200 USDSpokane County1,200Whatcom County: 1,192 USDWhatcom County1,192Skagit County: 1,187 USDSkagit County1,187Whitman County: 1,170 USDWhitman County1,170Grant County: 1,160 USDGrant County1,160Klickitat County: 1,160 USDKlickitat County1,160Garfield County: 1,154 USDGarfield County1,154Pend Oreille County: 1,121 USDPend Oreille County1,121Lewis County: 1,061 USDLewis County1,061Island County: 1,060 USDIsland County1,060Franklin County: 1,059 USDFranklin County1,059Jefferson County: 1,056 USDJefferson County1,056Mason County: 1,055 USDMason County1,055Chelan County: 1,042 USDChelan County1,042Grays Harbor County: 1,039 USDGrays Harbor County1,039Walla Walla County: 1,032 USDWalla Walla County1,032Clallam County: 1,010 USDClallam County1,010San Juan County: 1,000 USDSan Juan County1,000Asotin County: 989 USDAsotin County989Kittitas County: 986 USDKittitas County986Skamania County: 972 USDSkamania County972Adams County: 971 USDAdams County971Stevens County: 968 USDStevens County968Douglas County: 959 USDDouglas County959Yakima County: 958 USDYakima County958Lincoln County: 954 USDLincoln County954Ferry County: 930 USDFerry County930Pacific County: 906 USDPacific County906Okanogan County: 865 USDOkanogan County865Wahkiakum County: 827 USDWahkiakum County827King County: 2,317 USDKing County2,317Snohomish County: 1,517 USDSnohomish County1,517Clark County: 1,326 USDClark County1,326Thurston County: 1,312 USDThurston County1,312Kitsap County: 1,301 USDKitsap County1,301Columbia County: 1,290 USDColumbia County1,290Benton County: 1,289 USDBenton County1,289Pierce County: 1,289 USDPierce County1,289Cowlitz County: 1,240 USDCowlitz County1,240Spokane County: 1,200 USDSpokane County1,200Whatcom County: 1,192 USDWhatcom County1,192Skagit County: 1,187 USDSkagit County1,187Whitman County: 1,170 USDWhitman County1,170Grant County: 1,160 USDGrant County1,160Klickitat County: 1,160 USDKlickitat County1,160Garfield County: 1,154 USDGarfield County1,154Pend Oreille County: 1,121 USDPend Oreille County1,121Lewis County: 1,061 USDLewis County1,061Island County: 1,060 USDIsland County1,060Franklin County: 1,059 USDFranklin County1,059Jefferson County: 1,056 USDJefferson County1,056Mason County: 1,055 USDMason County1,055Chelan County: 1,042 USDChelan County1,042Grays Harbor County: 1,039 USDGrays Harbor County1,039Walla Walla County: 1,032 USDWalla Walla County1,032Clallam County: 1,010 USDClallam County1,010San Juan County: 1,000 USDSan Juan County1,000Asotin County: 989 USDAsotin County989Kittitas County: 986 USDKittitas County986Skamania County: 972 USDSkamania County972Adams County: 971 USDAdams County971Stevens County: 968 USDStevens County968Douglas County: 959 USDDouglas County959Yakima County: 958 USDYakima County958Lincoln County: 954 USDLincoln County954Ferry County: 930 USDFerry County930Pacific County: 906 USDPacific County906Okanogan County: 865 USDOkanogan County865Wahkiakum County: 827 USDWahkiakum County827
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

RankCounties2023
USD
Change on 2022
1King County2,317+5.7%
2Snohomish County1,517+8.9%
3Clark County1,326+3%
4Thurston County1,312+4%
5Kitsap County1,301+4.9%
6Columbia County1,290+15.4%
7Benton County1,289+4%
7Pierce County1,289+4%
9Cowlitz County1,240+3.6%
10Spokane County1,200+4.7%
11Whatcom County1,192+4.7%
12Skagit County1,187+3.1%
13Whitman County1,170+5.8%
14Grant County1,160+7.7%
14Klickitat County1,160+6.4%
16Garfield County1,154+5.7%
17Pend Oreille County1,121+7.9%
18Lewis County1,061+4.6%
19Island County1,060+4.4%
20Franklin County1,059+5.7%
21Jefferson County1,056+3.8%
22Mason County1,055+6.7%
23Chelan County1,042+4.6%
24Grays Harbor County1,039+5.4%
25Walla Walla County1,032+1.6%
26Clallam County1,010+4.9%
27San Juan County1,000+3.2%
28Asotin County989+5.5%
29Kittitas County986+2.2%
30Skamania County972+0.8%
31Adams County971+5.5%
32Stevens County968+5.7%
33Douglas County959+6.9%
34Yakima County958+5.2%
35Lincoln County954+6.1%
36Ferry County930+1.5%
37Pacific County906+7.5%
38Okanogan County865+5.9%
39Wahkiakum County827+3.2%

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/2023/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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/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), 2023. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_washington_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2023/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/washington-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in Washington by average weekly wage (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

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

King County, with $2,317 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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

Wahkiakum County, with $827 in 2023.

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.

Average weekly wage (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings