Jobs, pay and daily life in Spanaway, 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.
Spanaway is a city in Washington with 34,019 residents. The median household earns $98,251 a year and the median rent is $1,813 a month, which is 22.1% of the median household income. It is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 2,086,210 jobs.
How Spanaway compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Spanaway is #40 by population, #80 for college degrees (#1 = most), #76 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #66 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Pierce County, is #7 of 39 counties for average pay ($70,395).
Spanaway has 34,019 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Washington. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,890 people per square mile. The median age is 33.7, 12% younger than the state median (33.7 against 38.3). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,813 a month (rent plus utilities), 3% above the state median ($1,813 against $1,760). Over a year that is 22.1% 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 $445,700, which is 4.5 times the median household income ($98,251). 73.7% of households own their home, 16% above the state average (73.7% 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 Pierce County was 5.1%. 63.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Pierce County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.6% drive alone, 2.4% use public transit, 0.2% walk, 10.5% work from home. 31.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 87% above the state average (31.5% against 16.9%).
16.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58% below the state share (16.6% against 39.6%). 14.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 5% below the state share (14.7% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 8.8%, 11% below the state rate (8.8% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 64°F (17.6°C), and the coolest is Dec at 36°F (2.4°C). About 1,525 mm (60 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Nov is the wettest month (230 mm) and Jul the driest (19 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: Frederickson (3 miles, rent 32% higher); Parkland (3 miles, rent 8% lower); South Hill (7 miles, rent 15% higher); Lakewood (7 miles, rent 16% lower). Rent differences are against Spanaway; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Washington (1,197) →State guide: WashingtonCountry guidePierce 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 1,197 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 | 20.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 11.9% |
| Construction | 11.1% |
| Retail trade | 10.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.5% |
| Manufacturing | 6.7% |
| Public administration | 5.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
| Information | 1.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Spanaway 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County | 930,319 | $64,941 million | $69,805 | 333,492 | 20,820 | $70,395 | +0.8% | 5.1% | 499,802 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 56,625 | 20.7% | $73,448 | 1.18 |
| Retail trade | 36,054 | 13.2% | $48,401 | 1.08 |
| Accommodation and food services | 29,575 | 10.8% | $31,104 | 0.98 |
| Administrative and waste services | 24,342 | 8.9% | $62,838 | 1.24 |
| Construction | 23,993 | 8.8% | $83,055 | 1.37 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 20,071 | 7.3% | $69,788 | 1.42 |
| Manufacturing | 16,381 | 6.0% | $77,757 | 0.60 |
| Professional and technical services | 13,186 | 4.8% | $93,627 | 0.57 |
| Wholesale trade | 13,178 | 4.8% | $84,715 | 1.00 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 10,840 | 4.0% | $50,708 | 1.08 |
| Finance and insurance | 7,863 | 2.9% | $105,058 | 0.58 |
| Real estate and rental | 5,867 | 2.1% | $108,585 | 1.13 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 5,412 | 2.0% | $32,833 | 0.97 |
| Educational services | 5,000 | 1.8% | $49,702 | 0.73 |
| Information | 1,971 | 0.7% | $116,376 | 0.32 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,091 | 0.4% | $45,602 | 0.40 |
| Management of companies | 907 | 0.3% | $92,786 | 0.16 |
| Utilities | 752 | 0.3% | $127,889 | 0.59 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 185 | 0.1% | $92,547 | 0.15 |
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 | 75.6% |
| Public transit | 2.4% |
| Walk | 0.2% |
| Work from home | 10.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 31.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,251 |
| Income per person | $39,332 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,813 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.1% |
| Median home value | $445,700 |
| Homeowners | 73.7% |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% |
| 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 | 33.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 16.6% |
| Born abroad | 14.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.1 | 38 | 224 |
| Feb | 3.2 | 38 | 139 |
| Mar | 5.2 | 41 | 173 |
| Apr | 7.7 | 46 | 118 |
| May | 11.5 | 53 | 84 |
| Jun | 13.9 | 57 | 61 |
| Jul | 17.2 | 63 | 19 |
| Aug | 17.6 | 64 | 32 |
| Sep | 14.9 | 59 | 69 |
| Oct | 9.8 | 50 | 154 |
| Nov | 5.4 | 42 | 230 |
| Dec | 2.4 | 36 | 222 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederickson | WA | 3 mi | 25,383 | $109,500 | $2,386 |
| Parkland | WA | 3 mi | 38,742 | $72,239 | $1,663 |
| South Hill | WA | 7 mi | 68,025 | $113,130 | $2,088 |
| Lakewood | WA | 7 mi | 62,937 | $74,720 | $1,525 |
| Graham | WA | 8 mi | 35,079 | $116,862 | $2,095 |
| Puyallup | WA | 8 mi | 42,746 | $97,826 | $1,812 |
| University Place | WA | 10 mi | 34,911 | $99,031 | $1,762 |
| Tacoma | WA | 11 mi | 222,758 | $85,884 | $1,676 |
| Bonney Lake | WA | 14 mi | 22,090 | $136,845 | $2,256 |
| Federal Way | WA | 15 mi | 99,493 | $86,909 | $1,797 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
34,019 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,813 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.1% of the median household income.
$98,251 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.1% (BLS county, Pierce County (latest month 2026M09)).
Washington. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.