The state’s average annual wage grew by 2.6 percent in 2015 to $56,273, according to Employment Security Department.
The average weekly wage rose from $1,054 in 2014 to $1,082 in 2015. Much of the increase, the department said, was driven by a 5.9 percent increase in total earnings, which grew by nearly $9.5 billion in 2015. Overall, the average number of workers in Washington covered by unemployment insurance grew by 94,629 in 2015.
The industries with the largest average wage growth in 2015 were:
- Construction (+5.9 percent);
- Management of companies and enterprises (+5.7 percent); and
- Retail trade (+5.2 percent).
The average annual wage is used to calculate unemployment benefits for jobless workers and in computing employers’ unemployment taxes. Beginning in 2017, employers will pay unemployment taxes on the first $45,000 paid to each employee – up from $44,000 in 2016.
The state average wage is also used by the Department of Labor & Industries in calculating worker’s compensation benefits.
