Compensation and Benefits
Compensation and benefits data helps ensure that pay structures are competitive and fair. Pay equity analysis ensures fairness, supporting retention and employee satisfaction.
In This Section
Annual Salary
Annual Salary
- See General Wage Adjustments for information on general wage adjustments.
Median Annual Salary
Notes:
All median annual salary is reflected as of July 1.
Includes permanent and nonpermanent employees.
Excludes part-time employees.
Executive branch only (excluding higher education institutions).
Does not include legislative and judicial branch agencies.
Last Updated: 07/28/2026
Time Period: 07/01/2022 – 07/01/2026
Update Frequency: annually (end of fiscal year)
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Overtime Compensation
Overtime Compensation
- 68.1 percent of the workforce was eligible for overtime pay as of June 30, 2026.
- An average of 29.7 percent received overtime in FY 2026.
- The average monthly overtime hours decreased to 6.4 hours per month in FY 2026.
Average Overtime Hours
Overtime Cost
Notes:
Includes permanent and nonpermanent employees.
Executive branch only (excluding higher education institutions).
Does not include legislative and judicial branch agencies.
Last Updated: 07/28/2026
Time Period: 07/01/2021 – 06/30/2026
Update Frequency: annually (end of fiscal year)
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Performance-Based Incentives and Recognition
Performance-Based Incentives and Recognition
- 3,391 employees received performance-based incentives and recognition awards in FY 2026.
- Cash or cash-equivalent recognition awards (such as gift cards) are authorized under RCW 41.60.150 and may not exceed $200 in value per award. Cash or cash-equivalent recognition awards are not included in retirement calculations as reportable compensation (RCW 41.60.140) but are taxable under IRS regulations and must be recorded in the payroll system. Examples of awards:
- Outstanding performance / achievement of predefined work goals
- Safety performance
- Longevity (years of service) awards
- Outstanding public service
Performance-Based Incentives and Recognition Awards
Notes:
Executive branch only (excluding higher education institutions)
Does not include legislative and judicial branch agencies.
Last Updated: 07/28/2026
Time Period: 07/01/2021 – 06/30/2026
Update frequency: annually (end of fiscal year)
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Wage Adjustments and Salary Increases
Wage Adjustments and Salary Increases
- General wage adjustments are negotiated for represented employees and legislatively approved for nonrepresented employees. The amounts negotiated may vary by union.
- In accordance with Directive 20-08, agencies under the Governor’s authority did not implement the 3% general wage increase scheduled for July 1, 2020, for non-represented state employees in Exempt Management Service and Washington Management Service, and non-represented exempt employees making more than $53,000 a year. Those employees received a delayed 3% general wage increase on July 1, 2021.
- See General Wage Adjustments for more information.
25 Year History of General Wage Adjustments
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.2% | 1.6% | 3.2% | 2% | 0% | 0% | -3% Reduction | 0% | 3% Restored |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| 0% | 3% | 1.8% | 2% | 2% | 2% / 3% | 3% | 0% | 3.25% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Last Updated: 07/28/2026
Time Period: 01/01/2002 – 07/01/2026
Update Frequency: annually (end of fiscal year)
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State Salary Survey
State Salary Survey
2026 Washington State Employee Compensation Survey (WSECS)
The Office of Financial Management – State Human Resources is required by law (RCW 41.06.160) to conduct a salary and benefits survey. The survey’s goal is to compare the state’s compensation and fringe benefits (these are benefits outside of your pay) to other public and private employers within Washington.
We use benchmark jobs to compare base pay with our peers. A benchmark job is the state’s version of a comparable job in the market. We also collect information about pay practices (such as pay premiums and paid time off), retirement benefits, and health care benefits.
The state considers retirement and health care benefits valuable components of total compensation. These benefits provide important context to Washington’s compensation practices, especially when we compare state employees to other government or private employers.
Our state government must attract a diverse, inclusive, and talented workforce to best serve Washington. This means our workplace needs to focus on competitive employee flexibility, mobility, engagement and compensation.
This report does not define the appropriate compensation level for our workforce. Instead, state leaders can use it as a tool to find the appropriate balance among:
- Containing government operations costs
- Compensating state employees fairly
- Competing for specialized employees in the job market
2026 Survey Results
- 2026 WSECS State Report uploaded July 2026
- The 2024 WSECS result dashboards provide interactive views of the benchmark, paid leave and survey participant results found in the 2024 WSECS state report. ***2026 Updates Pending***
- 2026 WSECS report data tables [.xlsx] uploaded July 2026
- 2026 WSECS benchmark crosswalk [PDF] is a spreadsheet you can use to find the benchmark job for a specific job class
- 2026 WSECS methodologies overview [PDF] describes the methodologies and definitions used for the survey
- 2026 WSECS FAQ [PDF]
If you have additional questions about the survey, contact us at classandcomp@ofm.wa.gov or compensationsurveys@ofm.wa.gov.
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