Cost of Living in Washington
What it costs to live in Washington, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 7,958,180
- Median household income
- $99,389
- State income tax
- None
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 107.0
What a typical paycheck keeps in Washington
The typical Washington worker earns $62,990 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $13,147 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $62,990
- Federal income tax
- −$5,379
- Payroll taxes
- −$5,693
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$20,412
- Everyday costs
- −$18,359
a year, or $1,096 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Washington.
Cost of living in Washington
Prices across Washington run 7% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing26% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% above the US average
- Utilities7% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% above the US average
- All items7% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,701 | $20,412 |
| Food | $515 | $6,180 |
| Transportation | $407 | $4,884 |
| Healthcare | $366 | $4,392 |
| Utilities | $242 | $2,904 |
| Total before taxes | $3,231 | $38,772 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Washington taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
Washington doesn’t tax wages.
Payroll programs withheld from wages
- Paid Family and Medical Leave0.8% up to $184,500
- WA Cares Fund (long-term care)0.6%
No tax on wages (Washington taxes capital gains only). WA Cares and paid leave contributions are counted under payroll taxes.
Taxes on the median household income
$99,389 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$13,036 |
| Payroll taxes | −$8,982 |
| State income tax | $0 |
| Effective tax rate | 22.2% |
Cities in Washington
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Washington city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Washington
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $169,730 | $86,151 |
| Software engineer | $166,540 | $84,015 |
| Physician assistant | $164,360 | $82,556 |
| Data scientist | $163,350 | $81,879 |
| Pharmacist | $160,610 | $80,044 |
| Veterinarian | $160,510 | $79,977 |
| Nurse practitioner | $156,100 | $77,024 |
| Lawyer | $154,130 | $75,705 |
| Lineman | $133,060 | $61,596 |
| Dental hygienist | $131,160 | $60,324 |
| Registered nurse | $124,200 | $55,663 |
| Project manager | $124,160 | $55,636 |
| Mechanical engineer | $110,430 | $46,214 |
| Civil engineer | $110,000 | $45,918 |
| Occupational therapist | $107,670 | $44,312 |
Salary pages in Washington, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Washington
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $499,990 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $340,010 |
| Chief Executives | $339,810 |
| Physicians, All Other | $307,170 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $292,900 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $229,900 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $209,370 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $202,400 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $189,680 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $182,480 |
| Financial Managers | $174,840 |
| Sales Managers | $174,000 |
| Marketing Managers | $172,270 |
| Dentists, General | $169,730 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $169,120 |
Living in Washington
Washington against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Washington | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $602,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,824 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9.9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 41% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 27.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 16.4% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Washington with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Washington?
Prices in Washington are 7% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,701 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,530 a month.
Does Washington have a state income tax?
No. Washington doesn't tax wages. Workers still pay federal income tax and payroll taxes.
How much do you need to earn to live in Washington?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $46,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Washington earns $62,990 and keeps $13,147 after those costs.
Where in Washington does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Washington cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Olympia ($13,505 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Seattle ($11,674).
What jobs pay the most in Washington?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Washington goes to Anesthesiologists ($499,990); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($340,010); Chief Executives ($339,810) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate