Nursing Jobs in Seattle, Washington

Known as the Emerald City for its lush green landscape, Seattle, Washington, is not the capital of the Evergreen State (that’s Olympia), but is its largest city. It may be known as the home of the first Starbucks, but Seattle brings more to nursing professionals than a famous waterfront, a thriving tech scene, and lots of coffee. If you are considering searching for nursing jobs in Seattle, start by learning more about what this city has to offer nurses before and after a shift.

Fast Facts About Seattle Nursing Jobs

• Is Washington a compact state? Yes. It is the only West Coast state to join the NLC.
• What’s the average RN salary in Seattle? The average salary for Seattle RN jobs is $105,540, well over the national average salary of $89,010.
• Where can I find information about becoming a licensed RN in Washington? You can find the latest information about licensing on the Washington State Board of Nursing website.

What to Know About Nursing Jobs in Seattle

Seattle has a population of 733, 919, making it the 18^th largest city in the U.S. Residents in this large metro area — which includes cities like Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and Tacoma —demand a great deal of healthcare, opening up opportunities for RNs, CNAs, and LPNs. Nurses can look for work options that might best fit their schedule and life, including full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, and per diem nursing jobs in Seattle.

Whom might you be caring for in your Seattle nursing jobs? The median age of Seattle residents is just over 34 years old, with 12% of the population age 65 or older. Just over 51% of the population is male, and almost 49% are female. Like other coastal cities, Seattle has a diverse population and a significant Asian community (16%). Other main ethnic groups in the city include African American/Black (7%) and Hispanic/Latino (6%). There is a wide variety of languages spoken in Seattle, including Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tagalog. Thanks to this strong multicultural community, you may want to highlight any multilingual skills on your nursing resume and discuss your knowledge of cultural competency in nursing with your potential employer, as well.

If you need childcare while you are on shift, Seattle has many options. The Washington State Department of Children Youth and Families website can help you find and assess childcare providers and can provide resources for those who need assistance paying for care.

And if you need care coverage for your furry family members, Seattle has plenty, which is a good thing, considering there are more cats and dogs in Seattle than children.

Working in Seattle

Like other populous West Coast cities, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Seattle, but commuting is not usually part of that fun. The average commute in Jet City — a nickname courtesy of all the aerospace engineers driving to work with you — is 28 minutes, higher than the national average of 26.4 minutes. Unlike many other cities, only about 49% of commuters drive alone in their cars and a whopping 21% take mass transit. It might be nice to get to know your fellow Seattleites on the streetcar, the light rail, or the monorail on your way to your new nursing job.

Seattle is the home of big names like Blue Origin and Microsoft, but engineering isn’t the only game in town. Fueling interesting options for nurses, some of the key industries in Seattle are health services, construction, technology, professional services, life sciences, and maritime, manufacturing, and logistics.

Acute care facilities in Seattle are among your employment options, including some nationally known names. If hospital work is at the top of your list, look for highly ranked medical centers in the Seattle metro area such as:

• University of Washington Medical Center
• Virginia Mason Medical Center
• Overlake Medical Center
• Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
• Virginia Mason Franciscan Health-St. Joseph Medical Center
• Swedish First Hill Hospital

If caring for long-term patients is where you’d like to focus your career, there are plenty of post-acute care options for nursing jobs. Seattle, WA, has 32 nursing homes in the city alone.

Living in Seattle

Seattle has that special combination of a lively urban environment and great natural beauty. The area around Seattle contains mountains, lakes, beaches, and rainforests. You know it’s a beautiful day to head to Olympic National Park on the ferry if, as Seattleites like to say, “the mountains are out” — meaning Mt. Rainier is visible from the city. Other options for outdoor excursions on a day off might include hiking Mount Si, or hitting the almost 12 miles of trails at Discovery Park. Seattle residents are often avid bikers, kayakers, skiers, and snowboarders.

If your idea of exercise is more of a city stroll, choose Pike Place Market, one of Seattle’s most famous landmarks, attracting tourists and locals alike. This city icon was founded in 1907, and as the center of the Pike Place Market Historic District, provides shoppers with more than 220 independently owned shops and restaurants, more than 160 craftspeople, 70-plus farmers, and over 60 permitted buskers.

Beyond the Market, the food scene in Seattle is nationally known for its focus on local, sustainable foodstuffs and of course, fresh seafood. Local favorites include everything from French bistros to Korean fusion to right-from-the-sea oysters.

But Seattle isn’t just for food and exercise, there’s an arts and culture scene as well. You can hear the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall or see the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. But Seattle was also the epicenter of grunge music and once home to superstar bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Now there is a diverse musical element to the city, so you can enjoy live music festivals like Bumbershoot (which includes comedy, dance, and theater), or the Capitol Hill Block Party in July, which celebrates activism along with punk, pop, and R&B.

The chance to see and enjoy art doesn’t end with music in the Emerald City. Seattle is home to four major art museums — the Frye and Seattle Art Museums, the Henry Art Gallery, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum — as well as many smaller institutions. Or just head to one of Seattle’s Arts and Cultural Districts to soak in visual arts, ethnic festivals, and even more concerts.

One other famous characteristic of Seattle is its weather, or more specifically, the rainfall. The city doesn’t see more inches per year than cities like Miami, New Orleans, or Houston (39.9 inches), yet it does have more rainy days (an average of 156 per year) thanks to small amounts of precipitation. The upside? Lush green vegetation and a beautiful dry season between June and September averaging less than an inch of rain.

With all Seattle has to offer, it’s no surprise that the cost of living is higher than in most of the country. The cost of living in Seattle is around 50% higher than the national average, with housing, utilities, and groceries all costing more.

Find Great Nursing Jobs in Seattle With IntelyCare

Ready for a fresh start with a new CNA, LPN, or RN job in Seattle? IntelyCare can help. Begin your IntelyCare application, and build a schedule that fits your new life.