What pays what here
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue at all experience levels (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
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| Occupation | Jobs in metro | 10th percentile | Median here | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand laborers and material movers | 29,490 | $18.87 | $22.95 | $19.35 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 30,860 | $18.52 | $22.52 | $17.95 |
| Forklift and industrial truck operators | 10,110 | $22.22 | $26.73 | $22.32 |
| Light truck drivers | 14,680 | $20.81 | $23.84 | $21.57 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 21,230 | $26.91 | $34.25 | $28.19 |
| Retail salespersons | 46,620 | $17.79 | $20.23 | $17.03 |
| Cashiers | 30,470 | $17.60 | $21.26 | $15.81 |
| Customer service representatives | 25,840 | $19.81 | $25.75 | $21.53 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 54,670 | $21.25 | $23.18 | $17.21 |
| Nursing assistants | 16,530 | $22.14 | $25.00 | $20.32 |
| Medical assistants | 10,210 | $23.14 | $29.57 | $21.97 |
| Construction laborers | 13,040 | $20.99 | $28.72 | $22.66 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 11,780 | $19.46 | $23.31 | $18.82 |
| Helpers, electricians | 350 | $22.80 | $36.59 | $20.51 |
| Electricians | 9,750 | $26.77 | $48.93 | $30.38 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | 3,940 | $24.70 | $38.51 | $29.33 |
Every row beats the U.S. median, led by cashiers at $21.26 against $15.81 and electricians at $48.93 against $30.38. Electrician pay takes years of training: electrician apprenticeship. The helpers row rests on just 350 jobs. Light truck drivers, the core of JobPin's Seattle page, earn $23.84, or $953.60 for 40 hours. Other metros: pay benchmarks.
Local pay rules: the city line is worth $176 a week
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| Where you work | 2026 | January 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $21.30 | $22.14 |
| Washington State | $17.13 | $17.73 |
| Burien, largest employers | $21.78 | Not listed |
| Tukwila, covered employers | $21.65 | Not listed |
| Renton, largest employers | $21.57 | Not listed |
| Unincorporated King County, largest employers | $20.82 | Not listed |
| SeaTac, hospitality and transportation | $20.74 | Not listed |
Seattle OLS, September 28, 2026; L&I, read October 31, 2026; minimum wage by state. Tiers vary, so enter your job's address in the Minimum Wage Lookup on Seattle's page.
In January, 40 hours pays $885.60 in Seattle and $709.20 at the state rate, $176.40 apart. Tips do not count toward Seattle's minimum for any employer, since January 1, 2025. Washington shows no lower tipped rate (U.S. DOL). State law's payday is at least monthly, and Seattle sets the same limit (pay frequency laws).
Local rights: Seattle's Office of Labor Standards enforces these
Paid Sick and Safe Time. Employers up to 249 full-time equivalents give 1 hour per 40 worked; 250 or more give 1 per 30. Yearly carryover is 40, 56 or 72 hours by size (OLS). Outside Seattle, state law gives 1 per 40 with 40 hours carried over (L&I).
Secure Scheduling. It covers hourly staff at retail and food service employers with 500 or more workers worldwide. Full-service restaurants must also have 40 or more locations. You get schedules 14 days ahead and can decline added hours. Each employer change pays 1 extra hour, or half the hours lost if you are sent home early. Closing then opening with under 10 hours between pays time and a half (OLS).
Wage Theft Ordinance. You must get written notice of hours, rates, tips and deductions every payday (OLS).
App workers and contractors. Seattle has separate minimum pay, deactivation and sick leave laws for app-based workers. Another law requires disclosures and full payment for independent contractors (OLS). If you deliver for an app, read these first.
Breaks. A paid 10-minute rest per 4 hours, no more than 3 hours without one, and a 30-minute meal when you work more than 5 hours (L&I). More: break laws.
Your record. Seattle bars "felons need not apply" ads and limits early questions. State law now makes employers with 15 or more wait for a conditional offer, and smaller ones from January 1, 2027 (ban the box laws).
Who to call. Inside Seattle: OLS, 206-256-5297. Statewide: L&I workplace rights, 1-866-219-7321, within 3 years, or 180 days for retaliation. Next steps: unpaid wages.
Free local help
WorkSource Seattle-King County is run under the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (read October 31, 2026).
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| Location | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier | 2531 Rainier Ave S, Seattle 98144 | 206-721-6000 | Mon to Thu, 8 to 5; Fri, 9 to 5 |
| North Seattle | North Seattle College, 9600 College Way N, 98103 | 206-440-2500 | Mon to Fri, 9 to 4 |
| Auburn | 2707 I St. NE, Auburn 98002 | 253-804-1177 | Mon to Fri, 8:30 to 5 |
South Seattle College closed as a WorkSource location on June 30, 2026, and YWCA Downtown now offers virtual access.
Training money. The council says many federal and state training programs require an approved school and an occupation on its Occupations in Demand list. That list decides eligibility under WIOA, unemployment, WorkFirst and Commissioner-Approved Training. It posts no dollar amount, so ask. Do not enroll first. Help at the desk: free job help. Pierce and Snohomish counties have their own boards.
Getting there on ORCA
King County Metro's adult fare is $3.00, and a regional day pass $6 (effective September 1, 2025). A Monthly PugetPass covering $3 trips costs $108. For 22 workdays, 44 rides cost $132, so the pass saves $24. It equals 5.1 hours at $21.30.
ORCA LIFT. Fares drop to $1, and a $1 PugetPass costs $36, a $72 monthly saving. Your household income must be no more than 200% of the federal poverty level: $2,660 a month for one, $5,500 for four. Apple Health, WIC or Basic Food also qualifies. Full time at $21.30 is about $3,692 a month, over the one-person limit. Twenty-five hours a week is about $2,308, under it. Some agencies have no LIFT fare. Call 800-756-5437.
Subsidized annual pass. Free for up to 12 months if you live in King, Pierce or Snohomish County and get TANF, SSI, Refugee Cash Assistance, ABD, Pregnant Women Assistance or Housing & Essential Needs.
Who employs people here
September is preliminary (BLS Economy at a Glance, extracted October 30, 2026). Unemployment was 4.9%.
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| Sector | Jobs, September 2026 | Change over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 2,141,500 | +0.7% |
| Professional and business services | 384,300 | +0.7% |
| Trade, transportation and utilities | 351,600 | +0.7% |
| Education and health services | 319,600 | +3.1% |
| Government | 282,400 | -1.4% |
| Leisure and hospitality | 208,400 | +1.1% |
| Manufacturing | 167,900 | +3.3% |
| Information | 132,100 | -0.8% |
| Mining, logging and construction | 124,400 | +1.1% |
Business services and trade lead. Manufacturing grew fastest, 3.3%, with education and health at 3.1%. Government fell 1.4%. The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma and the Northwest Seaport Alliance report more than 265,000 jobs supported in 2023, counting longshore workers, truck drivers and airport employees as well as indirect jobs (Port of Seattle, July 2, 2025).
Job fairs and hiring events
JobPin's Seattle hub and Tacoma hub showed no confirmed upcoming event today. The next date found is thin:
- Seattle Job Fair: Thursday, December 10, 10 AM to 2 PM PT, virtual (Best Hire Career Fairs, read October 31, 2026).
WorkSource's statewide event calendar listed 645 events statewide when read, including workshops, and WorkSource warns some listings may be missing during a site change. Getting ready: how to get hired at a job fair.
A plan for this week
- Monday, November 2: need computer practice? WorkSource Rainier's digital literacy class runs 9 to 11 AM. Otherwise, sign up online.
- Tuesday: call 206-721-6000 and ask, "Is my target job on the Occupations in Demand list, and what training could be funded?"
- Wednesday: call 800-756-5437 if your income may fit ORCA LIFT. Have pay stubs and ID ready.
- Thursday: apply to five jobs. Run each address through the wage lookup, so you know the 2027 floor.
- Friday: register for December 10 and recheck the WorkSource calendar. Keep your schedule, in case a late change owes you pay.
Current openings
Next steps on JobPin: delivery jobs in Seattle, the only Seattle category page today, and delivery jobs nationwide.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
From January 1, a job inside Seattle under $22.14 is out of date or wrong, and tips cannot make up the difference. Check whether the address is Seattle, SeaTac or Tacoma, because the floor changes. Open JobPin's source link and confirm with the employer. How we check: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.