Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Washington | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $165,530 | $149,469 | +11% |
| Median hourly wage | $79.58 | $71.86 | +11% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $154,701.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $171,600 | $99,000 | $217,800 | 165 |
The median annual salary for a HR Manager in Washington is $165,530, or about $79.58 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for HR Managers is $149,469. Washington is +11% above the national median.
Entry-level hr managers in Washington typically earn from $99,000 depending on the city and employer.
With 4,560 hr manager jobs on record and a median salary of $165,530, Washington offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 36 of the 757 occupations reported in Washington — higher than 95% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Chief Executives at $339,810, Computer and Information Systems Managers at $209,370, Compensation and Benefits Managers at $199,190 — all figures are median annual wages for Washington.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Washington has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 115.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, hr managers rank 36 of the 757 occupations reported in Washington — higher than 95% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Washington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $339,810 | $3,170 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $209,370 | $16,960 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $199,190 | $460 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $189,680 | $6,060 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $182,480 | $2,490 |
| Financial Managers | $174,840 | $12,930 |
Washington has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 115.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 757 occupations in Washington.