How Much Salary Does a Single Person Need in Washington State?

How Much Money Does A Single Person Need To Make In Washington State?

When I first started working in Washington State, my hourly salary was $3.35 an hour. I rented my first studio apartment for $150 a month and yes my first radio full-time salary was $600 a month.

What's A Good Salary For A Single Person In Washington State?

It's amazing what it takes today to survive even with the bare minimum in Washington State.

The average single-person rental is $1200 a month and even with a $15.74 an hour minimum wage, the gap in what salary you need to survive in Washington State has grown.

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Going back as far as the late 90's, I managed to live on $35,000 a year in Seattle but there's no way you could do that today, even as a single person.

So what is the basic salary you need to get by in Washington State if you are a single person?

According to an article from CNBC.com, the average salary is $65,640.

I know that's a shocker to me as well but it makes sense as the average home across the US now costs $410,000.

Of course, other states are more expensive or cheaper to live in but even the lowest salaries in states like Idaho is $58,000, and Kentucky at $47,800.

If you are looking for a cheaper state to live in, the article continues that the Mid-West and The South might be somewhat cheaper but even their average homes will cost you between $300,000 and $350,000.

I remember renting a 3-bedroom 1.5 bath for the family at Le Verde apartments in Richland for $750 in the early 2010s and now those are averaging $1400 a month.

As a young single person entering the workforce, that $65,640 is just the start of what you might need for a salary in the future of Washington State.

You can read more about other state's salaries here.