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Jurisdiction file

City of Seattle employee compensation

Source file: City of Seattle — Wage Data / ingested Jun 19, 2026

In 2024, City of Seattle reported 14,194 employees across 41 departments. The highest-paid distinct record was Dawn Lindell (Seattle City Light) at $529,963.

Latest year
2024
Departments
41
Employees
14,194
Top record
$529,963

What the records show

Department analytics

Median pay and headcount show where payroll dollars concentrate and which agencies define the jurisdiction’s compensation profile.

Largest departments

The 12 departments employing the most people in 2024. Bar length is headcount. These departments drive most of the payroll and set the overall pay mix.

Highest-paying departments

Departments ranked by median total compensation — the typical employee's pay. High medians usually signal specialized or professional workforces (e.g. medical, legal, or public-safety agencies) rather than across-the-board higher pay.

Department index

Open an agency file

Department pages break down pay distributions, common job titles, and the employees behind the latest published payroll.

DepartmentEmployeesMedian total
Parks and Recreation Department1,970$71,386
Seattle City Light1,817$144,685
Seattle Police Department1,649$156,728
Seattle Public Utilities1,590$114,795
Seattle Department of Transportation1,184$124,946
Seattle Fire Department1,130$114,525
Seattle Public Library648$86,268
Seattle Center608$86,715
Finance and Administrative Service575$115,565
Information Technology573$159,328
Human Services469$104,874
Construction and Inspections406$133,744
Seattle Municipal Courts223$104,270
Law Department207$146,432
Community Safety and Communication Center192$103,750
Education and Early Learning125$116,958
Legislative Department100$126,766
Human Resources89$136,323
Housing Office64$121,701
Neighborhoods61$119,205
Sustainability and Environment60$136,323
Office of Arts and Culture55$110,531
Planning and Community Office53$140,067
Office of Economic Development and Special Events Office51$130,333
Mayor's Office39$170,560
Employees Retirement System36$134,982
Civil Rights Office36$125,424
City Budget Office35$154,170
Office of Labor Standards33$132,226
Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety22$126,391
Emergency Management Office15$139,422
Immigration and Refugee Affairs13$114,130
Ethics and Elections Commissions12$144,352
Community Police Commission10$134,430
Civil Service Commissions10$133,640
Intergovernmental Relations9$167,565
City Auditor's Office7$147,264
Office of the Employee Ombud7$124,925
Hearing Examiner5$136,323
Police Relief and Pension4$176,446
Economic and Revenue Forecasts2$154,856