Top 10 Employers in Seattle
The Seattle metro has earned a reputation as a cultural hub with abundant employment and easy access to natural splendor continues to lure new denizens to the Emerald City, which now boasts a population of over 650,000.
Based on international perceptions of our bustling Pacific Northwest burg, it may not come as a surprise how most work hard/play hard Seattleites earn their keep. What may be news to many readers, however, is how many big-name local employers are committed to harnessing the talents of MBAs in the name of innovation. We took it upon ourselves to investigate the Seattle metro area’s top 10 employers for those of you who daydream about nine months of rain.
Boeing
Seattle plays host to corporate HQ of “the world’s largest aerospace company, leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems,” and officially the biggest name in the game when it comes to King County employment. Boeing employs over 160,000 across the globe and 81,919 in Seattle alone, according to census statistics.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
South of Seattle lies Tacoma—notorious to I-5 commuters for its unpleasant aroma, which is reportedly the byproduct of sulfur discharged by the Simpson Tacoma Kraft pulp paper mill. And just south of Tacoma sits JBLM, home to the Air Force’s 62 division Airlift Wing and sole “power project base west of the Rocky Mountains,” which employs roughly 56,000 Seattle-Tacoma area residents.
Microsoft
Bill Gates’ baby keeps roofs from flying off of the homes of over 43,031 folks, according to census statistics. Microsoft is also one of the world’s top recruiters of MBAs, highly regarded for its premium benefits, relaxed culture and diverse career trajectories. For a more in-depth dish on how business school grads are running not walking to work for the tech giant, check out this article.
University of Washington
“U-Dub,” as alumni affectionately dub it, employs 30,200. A major research institution, UW hosts the prestigious Foster Business School—ranked 15th overall by U.S. News & World Report—which is alma mater for Alaska Airlines president and CEO William S. Ayer; founding TPG partner David Bonderman; noted portfolio theory economist Richard Roll; Irvine Company chairman Donald Bren; and former Nordstrom chairman and CEO Bruce Nordstrom, among others.
Amazon
Jeff Bezos’ e-commerce juggernaut—which has recently come under fire from both conscientious consumers for its Trump connections and Trump supporters for a slanderous bio Bezos allegedly commissioned from his Washington Post staff—employs 24,700 in the greater Seattle metro. While Microsoft ranks a couple of notches higher on the list in terms of sheer numbers, the competition is neck-and-neck between Microsoft and Amazon on which company offers the better workplace.
King County Government
King County employs 13,400 in a variety of positions, from healthcare to finance to civil engineering and everything in between. While public sector pay might shortchange b-school grads looking to scratch their 7-figure itches, government jobs are among the most secure and the most connected to day-to-day life.
Starbucks
Legend has it that before Starbucks, people begrudgingly survived plane, train and automobile trips through flyover country on pure gumption and gas station drip. Howard Schultz’s vision propelled the caffeinated colossus from a homespun Pike Place operation to a global chain that pulls in annual revenues in excess of $19 billion—and they still can’t get your name right on the latte! Starbucks’ 2401 Utah Avenue S HQ and its many area satellites currently employ 11,239 Seattle residents, according to census statistics.
Swedish Health Services
Swedish is the Seattle area’s “largest nonprofit health care provider” and an employer of 10,758 area residents. Founded in 1910 by Swedish immigrant Dr. Nils August Johanson, it expanded in 1932 to open the first cancer-care center west of the Mississippi. Swedish is renowned as a “regional referral center for leading-edge procedures such as robotic-assisted surgery and personalized treatment in cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research.”
City of Seattle
What better way to get to know your new adopted hometown than by literally building bridges? Mayor Ed Murray currently employs 10,080 Seattle residents.
Costco Wholesale Corp
America’s preeminent (e.g. largest) warehouse club, Costco’s Seattle HQ and area locations employ 9,264 residents. Built on a model of “low prices/high volume,” Fortune wrote of the chain in 2006: “While Wal-Mart stands for low prices and Target embodies cheap chic, Costco is a retail treasure hunt, where one’s shopping cart could contain a $50,000 diamond ring resting on top of a 64-ounce vat of mayonnaise.”
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
