Is $60,000 a good salary in Washington?
$60,000 in Washington is a below-median household income - the 29th percentile of Washington households in the Census ACS 2024 distribution (37th nationally). A single filer keeps about $50,249 after federal, Washington state, and FICA taxes - roughly $4,187/mo at a 16% effective rate. Statewide median rent takes 36% of gross - cost-burdened by the HUD 30% standard, and metro areas run higher.
Estimate only - not financial advice. Methodology and sources.
Census ACS 2024 1-year data (tables B19080, B19013), verified . Reviewed by kgenots, Editor. Methodology
Washington household income distribution (ACS 2024)
Washington's own published cut-points - where $60,000 sits is highlighted. These are the actual Census quintile thresholds for Washington, not the national distribution rescaled.
| Percentile | Band | Household income |
|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | Bottom 20% | $42,522✓ passed |
| 40th percentile | Lower-middle | $79,585 |
| 50th percentile (median) | Median household | $99,389 |
| 60th percentile | Upper-middle | $121,583 |
| 80th percentile | Top 20% starts | $195,549 |
| 95th percentile (top 5%) | Top 5% starts | $250,001 |
$60,000 clears the 20th percentile threshold in Washington - placing it at the 29th percentile of state households.
Take-home pay on $60,000 in Washington
| Gross income | $60,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,162 |
| Washington state income tax (none) | −$0 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,720 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$870 |
| Take-home (net) | $50,249 |
That's about $4,187/month net, an effective tax rate of 16.3%. Washington's average combined sales tax is 9.42%, charged on taxable spending out of that net - a consumption cost on top of the income tax above.
Single filer, 2025 federal brackets + standard deduction. State tax uses Washington's top/flat marginal rate, so in progressive-bracket states (e.g. California, New York) the state line is an upper bound and your actual net is likely a little higher. Married-filing-jointly and pre-tax 401(k)/health deductions also change the result. Estimate only - Washington take-home detail →
Occupations near $60,000 (single earner)
BLS national median wages within ±15% of $60,000 - gives texture for which careers and seniorities land at this income level.
| Occupation | Stage | National wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | mid-career | $61,550 |
| Electrician | mid-career | $62,350 |
| Firefighter | mid-career | $57,120 |
| Elementary teacher | mid-career | $63,680 |
| Customer service rep | senior | $56,000 |
| Office clerk | senior | $56,000 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. National medians; metro/state variance can be ±30%. Career stage estimates: entry ≈ 25th pct, senior ≈ 75th pct of the same SOC code.
Lifestyle context - rent burden in Washington
At $60,000 gross, statewide median rent eats 36% of income - HUD-defined cost-burdened. Metro areas (LA, SF, NYC, Boston, Seattle) typically run 30-50% above the statewide median.
Home affordability at $60,000
Using the 28% rule on a 30-year mortgage, $60,000 gross supports a home purchase up to about $161,888. Washington median home value is $558,600 - you can afford 29% of the median home, so buying requires lower-priced markets, a larger down payment, or co-buying.
How $60,000 ranks in neighboring states
State-adjusted percentile shows the same income placed in Washington's contiguous neighbors. Relevant for relocation, remote-work geography, or border-town decisions.
| State | Median HH | % vs median | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington (current) | $99,389 | -40% | 29th |
| Idaho | $81,166 | -26% | 36th |
| Oregon | $85,220 | -30% | 35th |
$60,000 ranks similarly in
Other incomes in Washington
Common questions
- Is $60,000 a good household income in Washington?
- It sits at roughly the 29th percentile of Washington households in the state's own Census ACS 2024 income distribution (Washington median $99,389). Nationally that's about the 37th percentile. Whether "good" depends on household size, debt, and metro cost of living - state figures smooth over big within-state variation.
- How does $60,000 compare to the Washington median?
- It's 40% below the Washington median household income of $99,389 (Census ACS 2024, table B19013). Half of Washington households earn less than $99,389, half earn more.
- How exact is the 29th percentile figure for $60,000?
- It is interpolated, not read off a published table. The Census publishes Washington household income only at quintile cut-points, and $60,000 falls between the 20th-percentile cut-point ($42,522) and the 40th-percentile cut-point ($79,585). We interpolate linearly between those two published points, so the figure is accurate to a few percentile points, not to the decimal.
- What is the highest income Washington's data can rank?
- Washington's published 95th-percentile cut-point is $250,001, below the $250,001 level at which the Census top-codes this measure. That means percentile positions in Washington stay meaningful across the full range shown here, unlike in higher-income states where the top bracket is censored.
Full data sources and formulas: /sources.
Source and methodology
Data source. Washington household income distribution comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates: table B19080 (quintile upper limits) and table B19013 (median household income), retrieved via the Census Reporter API on 2026-07-11.
How the percentile is derived. The Census publishes Washington only at the cut-points shown in the table above. We interpolate linearly between the two published points that bracket $60,000 ($42,522 and $79,585). We do not rescale one national curve by a state median, which is what most percentile calculators do.
Limitations. Interpolated positions are accurate to a few percentile points, not to the decimal. Washington's 95th-percentile cut-point is $250,001, below the $250,001 top-code ceiling, so ranks stay meaningful across the range shown. State-level figures also smooth over large metro-to-rural variation within Washington.
US household income percentile calculator → Income percentile by state (all 50) → Full methodology →
Estimate only - not financial advice. Percentiles are interpolated from US Census Bureau ACS household income distribution tables and describe where an income falls nationally - they are not a judgment of what you should earn or financial advice. Cost of living varies widely by state and metro.
Reviewed by kgenots, Editor · editorial policy