SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + WA
COL Index: 158.78 (+58.8% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 77.2% Realized
$59,265 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $76,800 $36.92/hr
Effective Tax Drag 16.83% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$12,927 $497.21/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $36.92 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,608/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,014/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$7,052
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,762
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,114
Washington Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$59,265 ($2,279.41 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $76,800
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $46.0k 25th $56.0k Median: $76,800 50th (Median) $76.8k 75th $115k 90th $115k You: $76,800
10th (Entry) $46,020 $22.13/hr
25th (Junior) $55,990 $26.92/hr
50th (Median) $76,800 $36.92/hr
75th (Senior) $115,150 $55.36/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $115,240 $55.40/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$50,599$24.33/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$72,736$34.97/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$98,036$47.13/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$129,660$62.34/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA medianView National Quality Control Inspector Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers+$5,140/yr
National median: $53,710
Skill overlap: 84%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics+$15,950/yr
National median: $64,520
Skill overlap: 81%View Salary
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers+$16,810/yr
National median: $65,380
Skill overlap: 81%
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping-$2,190/yr
National median: $46,380
Skill overlap: 78%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
44% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $2,180/month Requires minimum annual gross of $87,200
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,549/month Requires minimum annual gross of $101,960
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $35.12/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $31.10/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$76,800-$12,927$59,265$2,279.41
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$91,200-$17,007$68,721$2,643.12
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$105,600-$21,086$78,178$3,006.83
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$120,000-$25,166$87,634$3,370.54
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$134,400-$29,336$97,000$3,730.76
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Quality Control Inspector in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Washington tax codes.

Market Baseline
$76,800/yr
$36.92/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
16.83% Effective
-$12,927 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
44% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,759/mo
Post-$2,180/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 51-9061
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Quality Control Inspector in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA report a median annual wage of $76,800, 58.1% above the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $46,020 to $115,240, and HUD’s $2,180 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 34.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $35.12 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+19.8%
Savannah, GA$72,800-5.2%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950-6.3%
Anchorage, AK$71,470-6.9%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060-11.4%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840-14.3%
Bismarck, ND$63,910-16.8%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570-17.2%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520-17.3%
Wichita, KS$63,030-17.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$370,000$177.88/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$216,580$104.12/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$214,680$103.21/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$204,340$98.24/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$203,150$97.67/hr
Financial Manager$185,550$89.21/hr
Sales Managers$184,320$88.62/hr
Marketing Managers$175,850$84.54/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$174,260$83.78/hr
Human Resources Managers$171,360$82.38/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 388 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $76,800 a year ($36.92/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Quality Control Inspector in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The median annual wage is $76,800 ($36.92 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $46,020 and $115,240. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA after taxes?

On the median wage of $76,800, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $62,859 a year ($5,238 a month) after $13,941 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 18.15%, using 2026 tax rules.