Washington’s average annual wage grew by 3.4 percent in 2012, to $51,595, surpassing $50,000 for the first time, the state Employment Security Department reported Wednesday.
The average weekly wage rose from $959 to $992. These figures include only those wages that are covered by unemployment insurance. Much of the increase was driven by a 6.1 percent increase in the number of insured workers earning more than $75,000.
Overall, the average number of workers in Washington covered by unemployment insurance grew by 52,519 in 2012, an increase of 1.9 percent, and total earnings grew by nearly $7.4 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent.
The three industries with the highest wage growth in 2012 were the company management sector, up 17.6 percent; information, up 11.5 percent; and agriculture, up 11.5 percent.
