Washington · SOC 15-1252
Software Engineer Salary in Washington
VerifiedPublished wages for software engineers in Washington, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Software Engineers in Washington earn a median of $166,910 per year ($175,600 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $132,870–$207,370; the top 10% earn at least $239,200. That is 25% above the national median of $133,080, ranking Washington #2 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$166,910
+25% vs national
Top 10% earn
≥$239,200
BLS topcodes at this level
Employed in state
91,470
Reliability High (3.8% RSE)
Software Engineer pay distribution — Washington vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $102,630 | +29% |
| 25th percentile | $132,870 | +29% |
| Median50th percentile | $166,910 | +25% |
| 75th percentile | $207,370 | +23% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | ≥$239,200 | +13% |
| Meanaverage | $175,600 | +21% |
Where software engineers earn most in Washington
Metro areas in Washington where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 15-1252. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $169,340 | ≥$239,200 | 72,730 |
| PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $149,010 | $211,750 | 16,620 |
| BremertonBremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $139,060 | $193,280 | 620 |
| KennewickKennewick-Richland, WA | $132,160 | $186,180 | 610 |
| BellinghamBellingham, WA | $130,600 | $200,060 | 630 |
| LongviewLongview-Kelso, WA | $126,800 | $191,560 | 140 |
| WenatcheeWenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $123,740 | $182,890 | 150 |
| OlympiaOlympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $122,460 | $178,080 | 1,970 |
| SpokaneSpokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $121,530 | $178,920 | 1,760 |
| Mount VernonMount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $118,040 | $204,790 | 230 |
| YakimaYakima, WA | $111,320 | $194,120 | 220 |
| Walla WallaWalla Walla, WA | $106,330 | $202,300 | 90 |
| LewistonLewiston, ID-WA | $97,910 | $174,620 | 60 |
Washington engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
2.41
Jobs per 1,000
25.84
State rank (pay)
#2 of 51
All engineering roles
$150,511
A location quotient of 2.41 means Washington employs software engineers at a meaningfully higher rate than the country as a whole — a genuine cluster for this discipline.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 15-1252 (Software Developers), Washington (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →