Best Community Colleges in Washington

Why Attend Community College in Washington?

If you’re researching college options in the Pacific Northwest, you might have considered Washington State universities. But don’t discard considering attending a college in the Evergreen State as an alternative. Washington provides an ample amount of community colleges and technical schools. The tuition and living expense is incomparable to other states. Heading out of Seattle and away from the pricey city cost of living, could potentially land you a dorm at a college in Tacoma, Everett, Spokane, or Bellingham for a tiny fraction of the cost of the University of Washington.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Washington?

Washington has more than 700 different job types and ranks #15 in that category. This is 4.7% above the national median of 722 and is a great indication of the quality and choice of job options in the state. The total number of employed persons in the state is close to 3,206 thousand – which puts it in the upper end of the state labor forces throughout the nation at 74%. Thats a difference of 1,381 thousand when compared to Oregon.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Washington?

Although the job market in Washington offers over 700 different types of jobs, some of the most common occupations in the state are heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, teaching assistants, and secretaries and administrative assistants.

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Washington has about 34,510 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, making it the 21st highest total of all US states. That is short of the leader, Texas, by -83%, equaling a whopping 167,760 truckers less than the west-coast leader. In terms of salary, Washington ranks well above the national median and even beats out the leader, Texas, in this instance. Paying out $57,230 per year makes it the 3rd best paying state in the US - a 96 percentile of states nationwide.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary

Looking at the national picture, there are a total of 1,187,270 teaching assistants employed in the United States – of which 2.82% are employed in the state of Washington. Considering there are about 33,440 such workers in the state, that's exactly 95,350 less than the leader, California. However, although California has a much higher quantity of such workers - Washington still takes the cake in terms of salary, paying out the highest median at $38,120 annually.

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Washington boasts over 33,400 secretaries and administrative assistants, ranking 18th in the US - just around 81% below the leader California. That total equals a relatively large difference of 139,160. Although the quantity is lower than most – the median salary of $47,420 puts the Evergreen State in the upper echelons of states, with a percentile rank of 96% - slightly below the leader, Massachusetts. Those that perform highest in this role can expect a bonus of 28% - pushing the potential compensation to close to $60,500 - pretty impressive.