Seattle's stand-out salaries
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The Seattle-area stands out as one of the nation's top-paying metros, delivering big salaries for top earners like obstetricians, pilots, and IT managers, according to a new report.
Why it matters: People with these jobs locally make more money than their peers in almost every other city, per U.S. News & World Report.
Driving the news: The online newsite released its ranking of Best Paying Jobs of 2025 and compiled a list of the best-paying metros in the country this month.
By the numbers: The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region ranks among the top five highest-paying metros, boasting some of the highest salaries for 64 roles, including:
- Obstetrician and Gynecologist: $380,480
- Pilot: $379,080
- IT Manager: $218,640
- Human Resources Manager: $201,880
- Computer Network Architect: $167,420
The big picture: Nationwide, OB/GYNs, psychiatrists and emergency room physicians have the highest-paying jobs, all with average salaries of $239,000, per the ranking.
What they did: U.S. News analyzed the top five best-paying Metropolitan Statistical Areas by annual mean salary for jobs on USNews.com, identifying cities with the most high-paying positions in the 2025 rankings.
- Cities in the top 20 have the most occupations with annual mean salaries ranked in the top five nationwide.
Reality check: People who have those jobs in the top-ranked cities make more money than their counterparts in other places, but in high cost-of-living metros like Seattle, even relatively high earners can struggle.