Salary by metro
MBA-Relevant Salaries in Seattle
What the roles MBAs target actually pay in the Seattle metro area — source-labeled BLS wage benchmarks, adjusted for what it costs to live there.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA; cost-of-living from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Roles benchmarked
- 20
- MBA-relevant occupations
- Median wage span
- $99,370–$370,000
- across roles
- Highest median
- $370,000
- Chief Executives
- Cost of living
- 111.1
- price level (U.S. = 100)
What MBA-relevant roles pay in Seattle
Median wage and cost-of-living-adjusted value for each occupation. Open a role for its full percentile range and metro ranking.
| Role (occupation) | Median annual | Cost-of-living adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives SOC 11-1011 | $370,000 | $332,934 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers SOC 11-3021 | $214,680 | $193,174 |
| Financial Managers SOC 11-3031 | $185,550 | $166,962 |
| Sales Managers SOC 11-2022 | $184,320 | $165,855 |
| Marketing Managers SOC 11-2021 | $175,850 | $158,234 |
| Human Resources Managers SOC 11-3121 | $171,360 | $154,194 |
| Data Scientists SOC 15-2051 | $164,740 | $148,237 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers SOC 11-9111 | $160,100 | $144,062 |
| Industrial Production Managers SOC 11-3051 | $151,580 | $136,395 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers SOC 11-3071 | $146,080 | $131,446 |
| General and Operations Managers SOC 11-1021 | $146,030 | $131,401 |
| Project Management Specialists SOC 13-1082 | $130,380 | $117,319 |
| Management Analysts SOC 13-1111 | $126,340 | $113,684 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts SOC 13-2051 | $124,790 | $112,289 |
| Personal Financial Advisors SOC 13-2052 | $114,540 | $103,066 |
| Logisticians SOC 13-1081 | $108,920 | $98,009 |
| Budget Analysts SOC 13-2031 | $104,090 | $93,663 |
| Operations Research Analysts SOC 15-2031 | $102,930 | $92,619 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists SOC 13-1161 | $102,170 | $91,935 |
| Accountants and Auditors SOC 13-2011 | $99,370 | $89,415 |
Compare other metros
Cost of living and Seattle pay
Nominal wages in the Seattle area reflect its industry mix and cost of living. A higher headline number in an expensive metro does not automatically mean a better financial outcome — housing and everyday costs claim more of it. Each role page shows the cost-of-living-adjusted figure so you can compare purchasing power, not just headline pay.
Frequently asked questions
What do MBA-relevant roles pay in Seattle?
Across the 20 MBA-relevant occupations benchmarked for the Seattle metro area, median annual wages span roughly $99,370 to $370,000. These are BLS OEWS occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-graduate-specific outcomes. The highest-median role here is Chief Executives at $370,000.
Is Seattle an expensive place to earn these salaries?
The Seattle area overall price level is 111.1 against a U.S. average of 100 — above average, so nominal wages there buy less than the headline suggests. Each role page shows the cost-of-living-adjusted figure.
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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.