SOC 53-6051 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro

Transportation Inspectors Salary in Seattle, WA

The average salary for transportation inspectors in Seattle, Washington is $122,750 a year ($59.01 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $129,480: half of the 270 people in this job in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 33% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($92,249).

$122,750average per year

$59.01 / hourMedian $129,480Take-home ≈ $95,166

  • $70K10th
  • $95K25th
  • $129KMedian
  • $150K75th
  • $172K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

270people in this job
+33%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 2Washington metros
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Transportation Inspectors pay range in Seattle

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $70,270 a year or less, while the top 10% make $172,420 or more. The middle half of transportation inspectors in Seattle earn between $95,160 and $150,030.

  • $70K10th
  • $95K25th
  • $129KMedian
  • $150K75th
  • $172K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$122,750$10,229$59.01
Median$129,480$10,790$62.25
Entry level (25th percentile)$95,160$7,930$45.75
Experienced (75th percentile)$150,030$12,502$72.13

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Transportation Inspectors salary after taxes in Seattle

On the average salary of $122,750, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $95,166 a year, or $7,930 a month and $3,660 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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Is Seattle a good place for transportation inspectors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $122,750 buys what about $110,453 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $122,750 is worth in another city

Transportation Inspectors salary in other Washington cities

Seattle ranks 1st of 2 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Transportation Inspectors salaries in Washington

Highest-paying cities for transportation inspectors

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($128,300).

Transportation Inspectors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Transportation Inspectors in Seattle, WA.

Transportation Inspectors salary in Seattle: questions

How much do transportation inspectors make an hour in Seattle?

$59.01 an hour on average, and $62.25 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level transportation inspectors salary in Seattle?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $70,270 a year and the 25th percentile is $95,160, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the transportation inspectors take-home pay in Seattle?

About $95,166 a year ($7,930 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $122,750. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Do transportation inspectors earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?

The average here is 33% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($92,249).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-6051; area Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.7%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.84, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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