Question 1

What is the cost of living in Washington?

Accepted Answer

Washington's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 102.01, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 2% more than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,830/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in Washington?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in Washington, the average median wage is $190,191. The single highest-paying occupation here is Cardiologists at $656,330/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in Washington?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in Washington are: 1) Cardiologists at $656,330; 2) Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric at $553,310; 3) Dermatologists at $526,170; 4) Anesthesiologists at $499,990; 5) Surgeons, All Other at $479,460. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in Washington?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in Washington is $1,830/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's Washington data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
31	Computer Hardware Engineers	Engineering	$169K	$81.31/hr
32	Computer Network Architects	Technology	$168K	$80.81/hr
33	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	Management	$167K	N/A
34	Software Developers	Technology	$167K	$80.07/hr
35	Human Resources Managers	Management	$166K	$79.58/hr
36	Physician Assistants	Healthcare	$164K	$79.02/hr
37	Managers, All Other	Management	$164K	$78.92/hr
38	Advertising and Promotions Managers	Management	$163K	$78.55/hr
39	Training and Development Managers	Management	$163K	$78.54/hr
40	Data Scientists	Technology	$163K	$78.54/hr

Top Paying Jobs in Washington

Highest paying careers in Washington

Affordability snapshot: Washington

Metro areas in Washington