NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Metro Market Score 69.0 (Difficult), ranked #288 of 331 metros. 5,720 establishments, 55,424 jobs.

Metro Market Score 69.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national finance and insurance average.

💰High-Cost Market

Market conditions for finance and insurance in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue are tougher than average. The 69.0 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and moderate competition. Rank: #288 of 331 metros.

Industry Concentration

58.9

LQ: 0.66

Rank #195 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

95.8

$154,047 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 29.3

Employment growth index

Rank #235 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

45.8

YoY wage change index

5,720 Finance and Insurance Firms in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

5,720

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

55,424

Total Employment

-2.9% YoY

$154,047

Average Annual Wage

+6.1% YoY

0.66

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Washington

#10 of 11

finance and insurance metros in state

Washington state rank

#37 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

+21.7

worse than median (47.4)

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue vs Washington Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to Washington overall. The state ranks #37/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue	WA Statewide
Overall Score	69.0 Difficult	55.5 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#288 of 331 metros	#37 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

Accommodation and Food Services 53.4 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.6 Retail Trade 60.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.5 Administrative and Support Services 67.7 Other Services 69.3 Construction 74.5 Information 75.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 78.2

Finance and Insurance in Other Washington Metros

Longview-Kelso 31.9 #58/331 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 33.3 #66/331 Mount Vernon-Anacortes 36.7 #80/331 Yakima 38.7 #95/331 Walla Walla 45.0 #148/331 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 47.4 #155/331 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 49.4 #167/331 Kennewick-Richland 51.6 #185/331 Bellingham 61.5 #255/331 Spokane-Spokane Valley 74.8 #316/331

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue's 69.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Mobile, AL 69.1 #289/331 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 69.3 #290/331 Rochester, NY 69.3 #291/331 Syracuse, NY 68.7 #287/331 Jacksonville, FL 68.6 #286/331 Colorado Springs, CO 68.5 #285/331 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 69.7 #292/331 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC 69.7 #293/331 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 68.2 #284/331 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 70.0 #294/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering Washington

State-level entry risk for finance and insurance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Idaho 56.2 #39/51 Oregon 56.7 #41/51

Browse Finance and Insurance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for finance and insurance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue's finance and insurance sector, the wage competitiveness component (95.8) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment