Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid

King County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 39 counties in 2017, at $116.1 billion. Wahkiakum County had the lowest, at $32.13 million. The median was $998.03 million and the figure for Washington was $218.43 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest116,098.6King County
Median99839 counties
Washington218,430.3History

Map of counties, 2017

Adams County: 293.8 USD millionAsotin County: 263.8 USD millionBenton County: 4,962.5 USD millionChelan County: 1,795.4 USD millionClallam County: 1,025 USD millionClark County: 8,549.4 USD millionColumbia County: 55.6 USD millionCowlitz County: 2,002.3 USD millionDouglas County: 484.2 USD millionFerry County: 73.5 USD millionFranklin County: 1,420.8 USD millionGarfield County: 32.8 USD millionGrant County: 1,610.8 USD millionGrays Harbor County: 998 USD millionIsland County: 1,330.7 USD millionJefferson County: 374.2 USD millionKing County: 116,098.6 USD millionKitsap County: 5,378.7 USD millionKittitas County: 662.5 USD millionKlickitat County: 394.2 USD millionLewis County: 1,158.6 USD millionLincoln County: 112.9 USD millionMason County: 615.7 USD millionOkanogan County: 611.3 USD millionPacific County: 274.1 USD millionPend Oreille County: 156.8 USD millionPierce County: 18,170.1 USD millionSan Juan County: 231.4 USD millionSkagit County: 2,548.2 USD millionSkamania County: 81.9 USD millionSnohomish County: 17,919.1 USD millionSpokane County: 11,348.7 USD millionStevens County: 445.7 USD millionThurston County: 5,954.5 USD millionWahkiakum County: 32.1 USD millionWalla Walla County: 1,222.8 USD millionWhatcom County: 4,409.9 USD millionWhitman County: 925.1 USD millionYakima County: 4,404.6 USD million
  • Under 1,000
  • 1,000 to 2,000
  • 2,000 to 5,000
  • 5,000 and over
USD million, 2017. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2017

King County: 116,098.6 USD millionKing County116,098.6Pierce County: 18,170.1 USD millionPierce County18,170.1Snohomish County: 17,919.1 USD millionSnohomish County17,919.1Spokane County: 11,348.7 USD millionSpokane County11,348.7Clark County: 8,549.4 USD millionClark County8,549.4Thurston County: 5,954.5 USD millionThurston County5,954.5Kitsap County: 5,378.7 USD millionKitsap County5,378.7Benton County: 4,962.5 USD millionBenton County4,962.5Whatcom County: 4,409.9 USD millionWhatcom County4,409.9Yakima County: 4,404.6 USD millionYakima County4,404.6Skagit County: 2,548.2 USD millionSkagit County2,548.2Cowlitz County: 2,002.3 USD millionCowlitz County2,002.3Chelan County: 1,795.4 USD millionChelan County1,795.4Grant County: 1,610.8 USD millionGrant County1,610.8Franklin County: 1,420.8 USD millionFranklin County1,420.8Island County: 1,330.7 USD millionIsland County1,330.7Walla Walla County: 1,222.8 USD millionWalla Walla County1,222.8Lewis County: 1,158.6 USD millionLewis County1,158.6Clallam County: 1,025 USD millionClallam County1,025Grays Harbor County: 998 USD millionGrays Harbor County998Whitman County: 925.1 USD millionWhitman County925.1Kittitas County: 662.5 USD millionKittitas County662.5Mason County: 615.7 USD millionMason County615.7Okanogan County: 611.3 USD millionOkanogan County611.3Douglas County: 484.2 USD millionDouglas County484.2Stevens County: 445.7 USD millionStevens County445.7Klickitat County: 394.2 USD millionKlickitat County394.2Jefferson County: 374.2 USD millionJefferson County374.2Adams County: 293.8 USD millionAdams County293.8Pacific County: 274.1 USD millionPacific County274.1Asotin County: 263.8 USD millionAsotin County263.8San Juan County: 231.4 USD millionSan Juan County231.4Pend Oreille County: 156.8 USD millionPend Oreille County156.8Lincoln County: 112.9 USD millionLincoln County112.9Skamania County: 81.9 USD millionSkamania County81.9Ferry County: 73.5 USD millionFerry County73.5Columbia County: 55.6 USD millionColumbia County55.6Garfield County: 32.8 USD millionGarfield County32.8Wahkiakum County: 32.1 USD millionWahkiakum County32.1King County: 116,098.6 USD millionKing County116,098.6Pierce County: 18,170.1 USD millionPierce County18,170.1Snohomish County: 17,919.1 USD millionSnohomish County17,919.1Spokane County: 11,348.7 USD millionSpokane County11,348.7Clark County: 8,549.4 USD millionClark County8,549.4Thurston County: 5,954.5 USD millionThurston County5,954.5Kitsap County: 5,378.7 USD millionKitsap County5,378.7Benton County: 4,962.5 USD millionBenton County4,962.5Whatcom County: 4,409.9 USD millionWhatcom County4,409.9Yakima County: 4,404.6 USD millionYakima County4,404.6Skagit County: 2,548.2 USD millionSkagit County2,548.2Cowlitz County: 2,002.3 USD millionCowlitz County2,002.3Chelan County: 1,795.4 USD millionChelan County1,795.4Grant County: 1,610.8 USD millionGrant County1,610.8Franklin County: 1,420.8 USD millionFranklin County1,420.8Island County: 1,330.7 USD millionIsland County1,330.7Walla Walla County: 1,222.8 USD millionWalla Walla County1,222.8Lewis County: 1,158.6 USD millionLewis County1,158.6Clallam County: 1,025 USD millionClallam County1,025Grays Harbor County: 998 USD millionGrays Harbor County998Whitman County: 925.1 USD millionWhitman County925.1Kittitas County: 662.5 USD millionKittitas County662.5Mason County: 615.7 USD millionMason County615.7Okanogan County: 611.3 USD millionOkanogan County611.3Douglas County: 484.2 USD millionDouglas County484.2Stevens County: 445.7 USD millionStevens County445.7Klickitat County: 394.2 USD millionKlickitat County394.2Jefferson County: 374.2 USD millionJefferson County374.2Adams County: 293.8 USD millionAdams County293.8Pacific County: 274.1 USD millionPacific County274.1Asotin County: 263.8 USD millionAsotin County263.8San Juan County: 231.4 USD millionSan Juan County231.4Pend Oreille County: 156.8 USD millionPend Oreille County156.8Lincoln County: 112.9 USD millionLincoln County112.9Skamania County: 81.9 USD millionSkamania County81.9Ferry County: 73.5 USD millionFerry County73.5Columbia County: 55.6 USD millionColumbia County55.6Garfield County: 32.8 USD millionGarfield County32.8Wahkiakum County: 32.1 USD millionWahkiakum County32.1
USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017
USD million
Change on 2016
1King County116,098.6+9.2%
2Pierce County18,170.1+5.5%
3Snohomish County17,919.1+2.1%
4Spokane County11,348.7+5.6%
5Clark County8,549.4+8.6%
6Thurston County5,954.5+7.8%
7Kitsap County5,378.7+3.2%
8Benton County4,962.5+4.9%
9Whatcom County4,409.9+6.5%
10Yakima County4,404.6+3.2%
11Skagit County2,548.2+8%
12Cowlitz County2,002.3+6.4%
13Chelan County1,795.4+3.4%
14Grant County1,610.8+2.3%
15Franklin County1,420.8+2.8%
16Island County1,330.7+10.5%
17Walla Walla County1,222.8+2.5%
18Lewis County1,158.6+8%
19Clallam County1,025+5.8%
20Grays Harbor County998+7.1%
21Whitman County925.1+4%
22Kittitas County662.5+6.5%
23Mason County615.7+5.1%
24Okanogan County611.3+2.5%
25Douglas County484.2+7.3%
26Stevens County445.7+5.7%
27Klickitat County394.2+9.6%
28Jefferson County374.2+8.4%
29Adams County293.8+1.8%
30Pacific County274.1+7.2%
31Asotin County263.8+11.8%
32San Juan County231.4+5%
33Pend Oreille County156.8+5.9%
34Lincoln County112.9+1.8%
35Skamania County81.9+1.5%
36Ferry County73.5+1.8%
37Columbia County55.6+2.9%
38Garfield County32.8+2.3%
39Wahkiakum County32.1+14.6%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

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 Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. 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 Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid, 2017. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/washington-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/washington-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/washington-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_washington_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid, 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/washington-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Washington by wages and salaries paid, 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/washington-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/washington-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

King County, with $116.1 billion in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Wahkiakum County, with $32.13 million in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings