Jobs, pay and daily life in Arlington, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Arlington is a city in Washington with 21,095 residents. The median household earns $88,231 a year and the median rent is $1,905 a month, which is 25.9% of the median household income. It is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 2,086,210 jobs.
How Arlington compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Arlington is #71 by population, #74 for college degrees (#1 = most), #62 for remote work (#1 = most), #58 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Snohomish County, is #2 of 39 counties for average pay ($79,940).
Arlington has 21,095 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Washington. It covers 10 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,116 people per square mile. The median age is 36.6, 4% younger than the state median (36.6 against 38.3).
The median gross rent is $1,905 a month (rent plus utilities), 8% above the state median ($1,905 against $1,760). Over a year that is 25.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $538,800, which is 6.1 times the median household income ($88,231); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 62.2% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (62.2% against 63.8%).
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area has 2,086,210 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $72,610 a year, 42% above the national median ($72,610 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (212,900 jobs, median $59,660); business and financial operations (201,160 jobs, median $101,950); computer and mathematical (194,970 jobs, median $156,000). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (2.8 times) and architecture and engineering (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($168,110) and computer and mathematical ($156,000). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Snohomish County was 4.9%. 63.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Snohomish County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.2% drive alone, 1.2% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 11.9% work from home. 21.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 29% above the state average (21.8% against 16.9%).
20.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47% below the state share (20.8% against 39.6%). 11.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 29% below the state share (11.0% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 12.7%, 28% above the state rate (12.7% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 62°F (16.9°C), and the coolest is Dec at 34°F (1.0°C). About 1,839 mm (72 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Nov is the wettest month (283 mm) and Jul the driest (31 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Marysville (6 miles, rent 5% higher); Lake Stevens (12 miles, rent 17% higher); Everett (14 miles, rent 9% lower); Mount Vernon (19 miles, rent 26% lower). Rent differences are against Arlington; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Washington (1,198) →State guide: WashingtonCountry guideSnohomish CountyWashington rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,198 federal postings open in Washington (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Washington →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 92,770 | 4.10 | $167,280 | $99,190 | $257,960 | +23% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 54,670 | 0.95 | $48,210 | $44,190 | $54,980 | +35% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 49,190 | 0.95 | $39,150 | $35,580 | $50,980 | +25% |
| Retail Salespersons | 46,620 | 0.89 | $42,080 | $37,000 | $56,960 | +19% |
| Registered Nurses | 39,900 | 0.88 | $128,260 | $99,020 | $163,890 | +31% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 38,800 | 2.66 | $101,920 | $66,820 | $171,710 | +23% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 30,860 | 0.81 | $46,830 | $38,530 | $57,830 | +25% |
| Cashiers | 30,470 | 0.74 | $44,210 | $36,600 | $54,720 | +34% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 29,490 | 0.75 | $47,740 | $39,240 | $62,400 | +19% |
| General and Operations Managers | 29,370 | 0.62 | $146,030 | $79,610 | $292,160 | +38% |
| Office Clerks, General | 27,460 | 0.83 | $53,290 | $41,000 | $77,520 | +18% |
| Project Management Specialists | 26,910 | 1.88 | $130,380 | $78,780 | $209,220 | +27% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 26,820 | 0.90 | $46,490 | $38,490 | $63,120 | +26% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 26,530 | 0.87 | $57,280 | $36,730 | $95,940 | +63% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 25,840 | 0.74 | $53,550 | $41,200 | $76,280 | +20% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 22,100 | 1.14 | $99,370 | $73,250 | $160,640 | +19% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 21,230 | 0.77 | $71,240 | $55,980 | $93,810 | +21% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 21,040 | 1.10 | $53,950 | $39,450 | $64,450 | +47% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 20,850 | 1.10 | $47,730 | $38,360 | $58,660 | +28% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 19,050 | 2.73 | $133,690 | $74,470 | $197,600 | +26% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | 990 | 1.91 | $646,930 | $421,780 | $646,940 | +65% |
| Chief Executives | 2,060 | 0.75 | $370,000 | $187,890 | $607,100 | +73% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 850 | 0.94 | $340,010 | $222,990 | $404,380 | +33% |
| Physicians, All Other | 3,590 | 0.78 | $330,560 | $107,890 | $433,910 | +24% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 840 | 0.58 | $306,190 | $95,500 | $337,870 | +25% |
| Radiologists | 1,210 | 3.36 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 3,340 | 2.41 | $229,900 | $160,200 | $529,820 | -1% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 13,170 | 1.46 | $214,680 | $132,270 | $333,990 | +23% |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | 1,620 | 3.24 | $211,270 | $103,480 | $286,400 | +51% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 4,390 | 1.49 | $204,340 | $158,330 | $265,340 | +19% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 1,730 | 1.19 | $203,150 | $131,550 | $336,640 | +21% |
| Financial Managers | 8,500 | 0.75 | $185,550 | $124,820 | $324,570 | +11% |
| Sales Managers | 6,620 | 0.77 | $184,320 | $109,490 | $304,640 | +24% |
| Marketing Managers | 6,720 | 1.27 | $175,850 | $99,180 | $296,680 | +5% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 510 | 1.69 | $175,280 | $96,640 | $215,840 | +18% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 3,360 | 0.76 | $174,260 | $107,190 | $209,400 | +65% |
| Computer Network Architects | 3,710 | 1.54 | $172,650 | $93,880 | $243,590 | +29% |
| Human Resources Managers | 3,200 | 1.08 | $171,360 | $111,060 | $291,480 | +15% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 1,410 | 1.37 | $169,120 | $104,770 | $260,210 | +5% |
| Managers, All Other | 7,110 | 0.85 | $168,980 | $100,990 | $288,300 | +19% |
These figures are for the whole Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $72,610 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.2% |
| Manufacturing | 16.6% |
| Retail trade | 11.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.0% |
| Construction | 8.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Other services | 4.3% |
| Public administration | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.7% |
| Information | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Arlington lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snohomish County | 844,430 | $61,970 million | $73,387 | 297,617 | 20,620 | $79,940 | +1.8% | 4.9% | 466,879 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 55,884 | 21.8% | $117,340 | 2.29 |
| Health care and social assistance | 36,554 | 14.2% | $66,772 | 0.86 |
| Retail trade | 34,523 | 13.5% | $46,981 | 1.16 |
| Construction | 24,847 | 9.7% | $79,572 | 1.59 |
| Accommodation and food services | 24,372 | 9.5% | $31,464 | 0.90 |
| Professional and technical services | 16,201 | 6.3% | $136,658 | 0.78 |
| Administrative and waste services | 14,243 | 5.6% | $58,424 | 0.81 |
| Wholesale trade | 9,272 | 3.6% | $94,691 | 0.79 |
| Finance and insurance | 8,425 | 3.3% | $115,802 | 0.70 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,865 | 3.1% | $53,870 | 0.88 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7,134 | 2.8% | $64,574 | 0.57 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,912 | 1.5% | $28,324 | 0.78 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,625 | 1.4% | $66,924 | 0.78 |
| Information | 3,469 | 1.4% | $125,996 | 0.62 |
| Educational services | 2,828 | 1.1% | $32,922 | 0.46 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,812 | 0.7% | $44,697 | 0.75 |
| Management of companies | 1,302 | 0.5% | $99,153 | 0.26 |
| Utilities | 150 | 0.1% | $122,268 | 0.13 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 146 | 0.1% | $91,931 | 0.13 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.2% |
| Public transit | 1.2% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 11.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 21.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,231 |
| Income per person | $44,206 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,905 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 25.9% |
| Median home value | $538,800 |
| Homeowners | 62.2% |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 111.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $72,610 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.8% |
| Born abroad | 11.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.5 | 35 | 264 |
| Feb | 1.7 | 35 | 168 |
| Mar | 3.8 | 39 | 211 |
| Apr | 6.8 | 44 | 138 |
| May | 11.0 | 52 | 100 |
| Jun | 13.5 | 56 | 77 |
| Jul | 16.7 | 62 | 31 |
| Aug | 16.9 | 62 | 42 |
| Sep | 13.8 | 57 | 87 |
| Oct | 8.7 | 48 | 193 |
| Nov | 4.0 | 39 | 283 |
| Dec | 1.0 | 34 | 245 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marysville | WA | 6 mi | 73,002 | $103,974 | $1,997 |
| Lake Stevens | WA | 12 mi | 40,253 | $122,336 | $2,224 |
| Everett | WA | 14 mi | 111,845 | $83,512 | $1,740 |
| Mount Vernon | WA | 19 mi | 35,377 | $75,777 | $1,405 |
| Eastmont | WA | 19 mi | 23,721 | $138,912 | $2,443 |
| Mukilteo | WA | 19 mi | 21,323 | $132,861 | $2,166 |
| Silver Firs | WA | 21 mi | 22,306 | $163,418 | $2,881 |
| Mill Creek | WA | 21 mi | 20,956 | $124,364 | $2,249 |
| Monroe | WA | 23 mi | 19,755 | $110,461 | $1,950 |
| North Lynnwood | WA | 23 mi | 23,339 | $101,088 | $2,145 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
21,095 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,905 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 25.9% of the median household income.
$88,231 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.9% (BLS county, Snohomish County (latest month 2026M09)).
Washington. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.