Salary comparison
Dishwashers: Seattle vs San Diego
Seattle, WA pays about 11.0% more for dishwashers on paper — $42,750 vs $38,530. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Seattle comes out ahead by $4,220 a year in real buying power.
Seattle, WA
$42,750
$37,600
$45,650
$20.55
100
$42,750/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Diego, CA
$38,530
$36,910
$42,450
$18.52
100
$38,530/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,220 a year (11.0%) in favor of Seattle. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Seattle runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Diego sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Seattle is the better deal by $4,220 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from San Diego to Seattle for this role, the raise needs to beat 11.0% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do dishwashers earn more, Seattle or San Diego?
Seattle pays $42,750 on median — about 11.0% more than San Diego ($38,530). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Seattle. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Seattle gives you roughly$42,750 of real buying power versus $38,530 in the other city.