SOC 53-4041 · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro

Subway and Streetcar Operators Salary in Seattle, WA

The average salary for subway and streetcar operators in Seattle, Washington is $78,220 a year ($37.61 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $77,020: half of the 320 people in this job in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($77,170).

$78,220average per year

$37.61 / hourMedian $77,020Take-home ≈ $63,858

  • $65K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $93K75th
  • $93K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

320people in this job
+1%vs U.S. average
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Subway and Streetcar Operators pay range in Seattle

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $93,010 or more. The middle half of subway and streetcar operators in Seattle earn between $65,290 and $93,010.

  • $65K10th
  • $65K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $93K75th
  • $93K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$78,220$6,518$37.61
Median$77,020$6,418$37.03
Entry level (25th percentile)$65,290$5,441$31.39
Experienced (75th percentile)$93,010$7,751$44.72

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

Subway and Streetcar Operators pay in Seattle vs. Washington and the U.S.

Subway and streetcar operators in Seattle earn about the same as the Washington average ($78,220) and about the same as the U.S. average ($77,170). At the median the gap is -11% against the U.S. median of $86,380.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Seattle$78,220$77,020$65,290$93,010320
Washington$78,220$77,020$65,290$93,010320
United States$77,170$86,380$55,180$90,14010,200

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Subway and Streetcar Operators salary after taxes in Seattle

On the average salary of $78,220, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $63,858 a year, or $5,321 a month and $2,456 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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.

Washington paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Seattle a good place for subway and streetcar operators? 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 $78,220 buys what about $70,384 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 9.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $78,220 is worth in another city

Subway and Streetcar Operators salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for subway and streetcar operators

New York, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($89,750).

Subway and Streetcar Operators salary by city

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Subway and Streetcar Operators salary in Seattle: questions

How much do subway and streetcar operators make an hour in Seattle?

$37.61 an hour on average, and $37.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level subway and streetcar operators salary in Seattle?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $65,290, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the subway and streetcar operators take-home pay in Seattle?

About $63,858 a year ($5,321 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $78,220. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Do subway and streetcar operators earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($77,170).

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 53-4041; area Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.2%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 2.31, this job is 2.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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