BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

03/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 10:29

County Employment and Wages in Washington — Third Quarter 2025

News Release Information

26-544-SAN
Wednesday, March 18, 2026

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County Employment and Wages in Washington - Third Quarter 2025

Employment decreased in 6 of the 10 largest counties in Washington from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Snohomish County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment at 1.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Washington, September 2025
County Percent change, September 2025

Snohomish

-1.0

Thurston

-0.7

King

-0.4

Yakima

-0.2

Clark

-0.1

Pierce

-0.1

Whatcom

0.1

Benton

0.2

Spokane

0.2

Kitsap

0.9

Among the 10 largest counties in Washington, employment was highest in King (1,443,000) in September 2025. Together, the 10 largest counties accounted for 83.9 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025

All 10 large Washington counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) King had the largest increase (+9.1 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Washington's other large counties ranged from 6.4 percent to 2.7 percent.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Washington, third quarter 2025
County Percent change, third quarter 2025

King

9.1

Snohomish

6.4

Thurston

6.4

Pierce

5.3

Spokane

5.0

Benton

4.8

Whatcom

4.7

Clark

4.4

Kitsap

2.8

Yakima

2.7

Weekly wages in 3 of the 10 largest counties in Washington were above the national average of $1,459. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,635 in King to $1,028 in Yakima.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 29 small counties in Washington, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 29 smaller counties were below the national average. Cowlitz reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,343). Wahkiakum reported the lowest average weekly wage ($930) in the state.

Among all 39 Washington counties, 10 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,100, 10 had wages from $1,100 to $1,119, 8 had wages from $1,200 to $1,299, and 11 had average weekly wages of $1,300 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Washington, third quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,459)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 10 largest counties in Washington, third quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
September
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3) 		Third quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level (3) 		Percent change,
third quarter
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,353.8 155,767.7 0.1 -- 1,459 -- 4.7 --

Washington

242.3 3,639.4 -0.1 -- 1,923 2 7.7 1

Benton

5.5 102.6 0.2 137 1,404 113 4.8 88

Clark

15.8 183.6 -0.1 183 1,436 99 4.4 128

King

83.1 1,443.0 -0.4 238 2,635 5 9.1 6

Kitsap

6.9 94.5 0.9 59 1,441 97 2.8 302

Pierce

21.4 339.3 -0.1 183 1,419 108 5.3 56

Snohomish

21.1 299.7 -1.0 299 1,590 51 6.4 15

Spokane

16.1 246.0 0.2 137 1,307 181 5.0 74

Thurston

8.6 129.9 -0.7 276 1,469 82 6.4 15

Whatcom

7.5 93.9 0.1 154 1,291 189 4.7 95

Yakima

6.4 122.0 -0.2 199 1,028 359 2.7 309

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Washington, third quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment September 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,353,804 155,767,691 1,459

Washington

242,327 3,639,384 1,923

Adams

701 10,694 1,012

Asotin

541 6,683 1,097

Benton

5,496 102,589 1,404

Chelan

3,247 47,275 1,105

Clallam

2,310 24,856 1,113

Clark

15,800 183,581 1,436

Columbia

179 1,327 1,200

Cowlitz

2,739 41,391 1,343

Douglas

1,127 13,077 1,028

Ferry

275 1,728 1,055

Franklin

2,436 39,579 1,120

Garfield

71 642 1,251

Grant

2,742 43,898 1,265

Grays Harbor

1,859 24,314 1,166

Island

2,193 18,195 1,246

Jefferson

1,078 9,284 1,226

King

83,148 1,443,001 2,635

Kitsap

6,898 94,540 1,441

Kittitas

1,443 16,844 1,122

Klickitat

843 7,321 1,263

Lewis

2,297 27,789 1,181

Lincoln

441 2,834 1,082

Mason

1,272 14,825 1,187

Okanogan

1,635 18,798 965

Pacific

702 6,707 1,005

Pend Oreille

347 3,248 1,263

Pierce

21,386 339,257 1,419

San Juan

1,056 6,471 1,074

Skagit

3,894 54,818 1,300

Skamania

283 2,313 1,152

Snohomish

21,064 299,711 1,590

Spokane

16,099 246,011 1,307

Stevens

1,050 11,400 1,104

Thurston

8,563 129,892 1,469

Wahkiakum

133 736 930

Walla Walla

1,838 29,088 1,146

Whatcom

7,476 93,887 1,291

Whitman

1,247 18,851 1,336

Yakima

6,443 122,041 1,028

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2025
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
September
2024-25 		Third quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
third quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,353.8 155,767.7 0.1 1,459 -- 4.7 --

Alabama

165.7 2,119.0 0.6 1,212 36 3.6 38

Alaska

25.3 342.4 -0.1 1,455 13 5.3 7

Arizona

228.4 3,215.4 -0.2 1,360 19 4.0 31

Arkansas

111.2 1,310.5 0.5 1,135 49 3.8 33

California

1,986.7 18,281.7 0.3 1,815 4 7.2 2

Colorado

252.9 2,886.4 -0.6 1,570 7 5.7 3

Connecticut

149.6 1,693.8 0.1 1,604 6 3.8 33

Delaware

46.7 480.8 0.0 1,394 17 4.8 13

District of Columbia

51.5 737.4 -3.1 2,393 1 5.7 3

Florida

892.1 9,818.1 -0.2 1,342 21 5.1 8

Georgia

397.2 4,874.5 0.4 1,349 20 3.5 43

Hawaii

62.1 640.1 0.1 1,342 21 3.1 48

Idaho

103.7 879.8 1.3 1,180 44 4.9 11

Illinois

386.5 6,086.3 -0.1 1,457 12 4.3 23

Indiana

197.1 3,198.4 0.1 1,214 35 4.3 23

Iowa

109.6 1,549.3 -0.9 1,194 39 3.6 38

Kansas

102.2 1,431.7 0.1 1,179 45 3.8 33

Kentucky

160.7 1,995.4 -0.4 1,176 46 4.3 23

Louisiana

158.7 1,913.1 -0.1 1,187 42 3.3 46

Maine

67.4 659.2 -0.2 1,231 33 5.0 10

Maryland

199.5 2,739.5 -1.3 1,526 9 3.8 33

Massachusetts

293.2 3,625.0 -0.9 1,818 3 4.8 13

Michigan

316.0 4,423.8 -0.4 1,323 25 4.5 18

Minnesota

214.3 2,958.6 0.2 1,438 15 3.6 38

Mississippi

91.3 1,172.6 0.0 1,005 51 4.7 15

Missouri

256.0 2,903.7 -0.4 1,249 31 4.4 21

Montana

64.6 518.3 -0.4 1,182 43 5.1 8

Nebraska

78.6 1,021.8 -0.1 1,190 40 3.1 48

Nevada

109.5 1,581.0 1.4 1,314 27 4.3 23

New Hampshire

67.3 687.8 -0.6 1,481 11 5.5 6

New Jersey

334.9 4,301.0 0.4 1,558 8 3.6 38

New Mexico

69.0 876.4 0.3 1,190 40 3.2 47

New York

720.8 9,808.4 0.4 1,757 5 4.7 15

North Carolina

386.3 4,939.4 0.5 1,328 23 4.2 27

North Dakota

36.7 433.8 -0.5 1,291 29 2.8 50

Ohio

346.6 5,537.8 0.1 1,279 30 3.4 44

Oklahoma

128.8 1,697.9 -0.3 1,143 48 4.5 18

Oregon

180.5 1,994.7 -1.3 1,409 16 4.2 27

Pennsylvania

397.2 6,066.3 0.2 1,383 18 4.1 30

Rhode Island

48.8 503.3 0.2 1,322 26 4.7 15

South Carolina

190.8 2,312.3 0.7 1,198 38 4.9 11

South Dakota

40.9 462.9 0.1 1,146 47 4.0 31

Tennessee

224.2 3,255.5 -1.2 1,327 24 5.7 3

Texas

854.9 14,062.3 0.7 1,444 14 3.6 38

Utah

142.4 1,745.9 1.2 1,297 28 3.8 33

Vermont

34.1 307.2 -0.7 1,243 32 4.4 21

Virginia

324.0 4,142.4 0.7 1,504 10 4.2 27

Washington

242.3 3,639.4 -0.1 1,923 2 7.7 1

West Virginia

62.1 701.1 -0.1 1,121 50 3.4 44

Wisconsin

211.6 2,949.1 -0.4 1,228 34 4.5 18

Wyoming

31.7 285.6 -1.1 1,201 37 2.0 51

Puerto Rico

52.8 945.5 -0.6 687 (3) 2.7 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.2 -5.4 1,025 (3) 4.7 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on March 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 18, 2026 at 16:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]