Highest-paying jobs in Washington
The highest published median in Washington is for cardiologists, at $656,330 a year. For one more occupation, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $62,990, against $50,980 nationally.
Washington · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $62,990
- Mean / yr
- $83,330
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 107.0
- Median, price-adjusted
- $58,862
- Adjusted rank
- 5 of 51
- Jobs
- 3,550,970
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Washington
WA · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 756
| No. | Occupation | Median in WA | U.S. median | Employed in WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $656,330 | $496,010 | 200 |
| 2 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $553,310 | $358,550 | 290 |
| 3 | Dermatologists | $526,170 | $328,730 | 170 |
| 4 | Anesthesiologists | $499,990 | $391,490 | 1,540 |
| 5 | Surgeons, All Other | $479,460 | $414,010 | 370 |
| 6 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $380,870 | $335,550 | — |
| 7 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $343,140 | $292,910 | 270 |
| 8 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $340,010 | $256,560 | 1,100 |
| 9 | Chief Executives | $339,810 | $213,990 | 3,170 |
| 10 | Neurologists | $327,140 | $248,560 | 180 |
| 11 | Physicians, All Other | $307,170 | $265,930 | 6,300 |
| 12 | Psychiatrists | $304,920 | $281,870 | 360 |
| 13 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $304,830 | $300,080 | 180 |
| 14 | Physicians, Pathologists | $300,680 | $312,400 | 200 |
| 15 | Family Medicine Physicians | $292,900 | $244,180 | 1,270 |
| 16 | Orthodontists | $290,430 | $289,140 | 290 |
| 17 | Nurse Anesthetists | $274,390 | $236,590 | 760 |
| 18 | Podiatrists | $232,970 | $160,300 | 140 |
| 19 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $229,900 | $232,140 | 3,450 |
| 20 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $209,370 | $175,140 | 16,960 |
| 21 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $202,400 | $140,300 | 2,050 |
| 22 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $199,190 | $149,230 | 460 |
| 23 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $189,680 | $171,270 | 6,060 |
| 24 | Medical Dosimetrists | $189,280 | $147,470 | 60 |
| 25 | Natural Sciences Managers | $182,480 | $167,220 | 2,490 |
| 26 | Financial Managers | $174,840 | $166,570 | 12,930 |
| 27 | Sales Managers | $174,000 | $148,270 | 10,030 |
| 28 | Marketing Managers | $172,270 | $166,790 | 8,880 |
| 29 | Dentists, General | $169,730 | $170,950 | 3,240 |
| 30 | Pediatricians, General | $169,540 | $210,040 | 480 |
| 31 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $169,120 | $161,740 | 1,800 |
| 32 | Computer Network Architects | $168,070 | $134,050 | 4,730 |
| 33 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $166,590 | $105,870 | 6,470 |
| 34 | Software Developers | $166,540 | $135,980 | 107,030 |
| 35 | Human Resources Managers | $165,530 | $149,280 | 4,560 |
| 36 | Physician Assistants | $164,360 | $135,880 | 3,540 |
| 37 | Managers, All Other | $164,160 | $141,900 | 10,490 |
| 38 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $163,380 | $133,660 | 530 |
| 39 | Training and Development Managers | $163,360 | $133,000 | 720 |
| 40 | Data Scientists | $163,350 | $120,230 | 9,600 |
| 41 | Purchasing Managers | $162,730 | $148,080 | 1,770 |
| 42 | Air Traffic Controllers | $162,570 | $148,080 | 620 |
| 43 | Mathematicians | $162,280 | $126,710 | 100 |
| 44 | Commercial Divers | $161,800 | $72,990 | — |
| 45 | Pharmacists | $160,610 | $140,910 | 7,350 |
| 46 | Veterinarians | $160,510 | $130,100 | 2,390 |
| 47 | Public Relations Managers | $159,440 | $146,910 | 1,610 |
| 48 | Nurse Midwives | $158,970 | $134,040 | 170 |
| 49 | Aerospace Engineers | $158,370 | $134,960 | 5,760 |
| 50 | Optometrists | $157,560 | $136,570 | 760 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Washington: Radiologists. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Washington
- Anesthesiologists — $499,990 (1,540 jobs)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians — $340,010 (1,100 jobs)
- Chief Executives — $339,810 (3,170 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $307,170 (6,300 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $292,900 (1,270 jobs)
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — $229,900 (3,450 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $209,370 (16,960 jobs)
- Computer and Information Research Scientists — $202,400 (2,050 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $189,680 (6,060 jobs)
- Natural Sciences Managers — $182,480 (2,490 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.