Western Washington University salaries

Q: Is the pay good at Western Washington University?

Yes, the pay is good at Western Washington University. Compared to the industry average of $42,326 per year, the average annual salary at Western Washington University is $41,522, which is 1.90% lower.

Q: What is the starting pay at Western Washington University?

The starting pay at Western Washington University is $23,000 per year, or $11.06 per hour.

Q: How much does Western Washington University pay an hour?

Western Washington University pays $19.96 an hour, on average.

Zippia score 4.0

Western Washington University salary estimate

$41,522yearly

$19.96 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$23,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Western Washington University Salary Overview

At Western Washington University, salaries reflect a wide range of positions, with the average employee earning about $41,522 per year. The highest paying roles include associate professors with an average salary of $91,322, assistant professors earning around $84,036, and development directors making approximately $72,733.

Lowest Paying Positions

In contrast, entry-level positions such as gallery attendants and student workers earn significantly less, with gallery attendants averaging $24,558 annually.

Salaries by Department

Salary disparities are notable between departments. The engineering department leads with an average of $59,765, followed closely by IT at $56,287. Conversely, roles in facilities and customer service average around $31,455 and $32,808, respectively.

Comparative Analysis

When compared to local institutions, salaries at Wilmington University average $56,954, while the University of Washington and Portland State University offer average salaries of $53,857 and $52,914, respectively. This analysis helps prospective employees understand the compensation landscape and assess their career paths at Western Washington University.

Highest paying jobs at Western Washington University

The highest paying jobs at Western Washington University are associate professor, assistant professor, development director, and college of education dean. Associate professor jobs at Western Washington University earn an average yearly salary of $91,322, Western Washington University assistant professor jobs average $84,036, and Western Washington University development director jobs average $72,733.

The lowest paying Western Washington University roles include gallery attendant and student worker. Western Washington University gallery attendant average salary is $24,558 per year. So while the average Western Washington University salary is $41,522 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Western Washington University

Rank	Job title	Average Western Washington University salary	Hourly rate
1	Associate Professor	$91,322	$43.90
2	Assistant Professor	$84,036	$40.40
3	Development Director	$72,733	$34.97
4	College Of Education Dean	$72,230	$34.73
5	Building Manager	$71,932	$34.58
6	Systems Analyst	$68,703	$33.03
7	Adjunct Faculty	$66,803	$32.12
8	Information Technology Specialist	$65,801	$31.64
9	Administrative Services Manager	$64,224	$30.88
10	Program Director	$59,457	$28.59
11	Research Associate	$58,846	$28.29
12	Phonathon Caller	$58,170	$27.97
13	Communications Consultant	$57,618	$27.70
14	Instructor	$54,623	$26.26
15	Supervisor	$53,557	$25.75
16	Lecturer	$52,783	$25.38
17	Researcher	$49,675	$23.88
18	Research Assistant	$48,385	$23.26
19	Graphic Designer	$44,009	$21.16
20	Peer Advisor	$43,270	$20.80

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Western Washington University salaries by department

Salaries at Western Washington University vary depending on the department you work in. Western Washington University salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $59,765. Employees in the it department at Western Washington University receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $56,287 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Western Washington University include the facilities and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $31,455 and $32,808, respectively.

Average Western Washington University salary by department

Rank	Department	Average Western Washington University salary	Hourly rate
1	Engineering	$59,765	$28.73
2	IT	$56,287	$27.06
3	Healthcare	$50,897	$24.47
4	Education	$46,012	$22.12
5	Research & Development	$45,286	$21.77
6	Marketing	$45,081	$21.67
7	Art/Design	$41,937	$20.16
8	Human Resources	$37,821	$18.18
9	Non Profit/Government	$34,306	$16.49
10	Administrative	$33,788	$16.24
11	Customer Service	$32,809	$15.77
12	Facilities	$31,456	$15.12

How much does Western Washington University pay by department?

Best paying Western Washington University education salaries

Rank	Position	Average Western Washington University salary	Hourly rate
1	Associate Professor	$91,322	$43.90
2	Assistant Professor	$84,036	$40.40
3	College Of Education Dean	$72,230	$34.73
4	Building Manager	$71,932	$34.58
5	Adjunct Faculty	$66,803	$32.12
6	Intramural Supervisor	$59,166	$28.45
7	Music Librarian	$56,599	$27.21
8	Instructor	$54,623	$26.26
9	Building Supervisor	$54,197	$26.06
10	Strength And Conditioning Coach	$53,162	$25.56
11	Lecturer	$52,783	$25.38
12	Strength And Conditioning Internship	$49,578	$23.84
13	Volleyball Coach	$47,696	$22.93
14	Peer Advisor	$43,270	$20.80
15	Teacher	$41,804	$20.10
16	Leadership Internship	$41,188	$19.80
17	Student Advisor	$40,004	$19.23
18	Education Coordinator	$39,371	$18.93
19	Teaching Fellow	$39,179	$18.84
20	Community Health Educator	$36,857	$17.72

Best paying Western Washington University research & development salaries

Rank	Position	Average Western Washington University salary	Hourly rate
1	Marine Scientist	$64,124	$30.83
2	Research Associate	$58,846	$28.29
3	Researcher	$49,675	$23.88
4	Research Assistant	$48,385	$23.26
5	Ecologist	$43,604	$20.96
6	Laboratory Technician	$33,862	$16.28
7	Laboratory Assistant	$31,296	$15.05

Best paying Western Washington University administrative salaries

Rank	Position	Average Western Washington University salary	Hourly rate
1	Phonathon Caller	$58,170	$27.97
2	Records Manager	$42,449	$20.41
3	Library Paraprofessional	$38,449	$18.49
4	Office Administrator	$37,222	$17.90
5	Co-Coordinator	$36,628	$17.61
6	Record Management Specialist	$36,352	$17.48
7	Enrollment Coordinator	$36,341	$17.47
8	Department Secretary	$35,697	$17.16
9	Project Management Internship	$33,433	$16.07
10	Office Assistant	$32,750	$15.75
11	Front Desk Receptionist	$31,219	$15.01
12	Student Internship	$31,215	$15.01
13	Records Clerk	$30,893	$14.85
14	Administrative Assistant	$30,710	$14.76
15	Front Desk Coordinator	$30,611	$14.72
16	Student Worker	$25,227	$12.13

Western Washington University competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Western Washington University competitors, like Wilmington University, University of Washington, and Portland State University, vary. Wilmington University employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $56,954. The average salary at University of Washington is $53,857 per year, and the average salary at Portland State University is $52,914 per year.

Highest paying Western Washington University competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	Wilmington University	4.0	$56,954
2	University of Washington	4.4	$53,857
3	Portland State University	4.1	$52,914
4	UMass Dartmouth	3.7	$47,176
5	Georgia College	3.9	$46,315
6	Gonzaga University	4.3	$46,279
7	Heritage University	4.0	$44,237
8	Eastern Washington University	3.8	$44,131
9	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	3.9	$44,126
10	Pacific Lutheran University	3.8	$43,824
11	Whittier College	4.2	$41,604
12	Central Washington University	3.8	$41,330
13	Spring Arbor University	3.8	$41,183
14	Eastern Oregon University	4.1	$39,333
15	State University of New York at Oswego	4.2	$38,826
16	Missouri Western State University	3.7	$38,624
17	Henderson State University	3.7	$33,230
18	Whitworth University	4.0	$32,185
19	Tarleton State University	4.0	$31,003
20	University of Montevallo	3.2	$29,387

Recently added Western Washington University salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Kugs Operations Manager-Project Position	Bellingham, WA	06/30/2025	$50,088
Kitsap Center Director	Poulsbo, WA	06/27/2025	$100,443
Sustainability Mentor-Methow Valley	Bellingham, WA	06/13/2025	$41,698
CSE Fiscal Specialist	Bellingham, WA	06/11/2025	$50,088
Parking Guide	Bellingham, WA	06/11/2025	$40,596

What employees say about salary at Western Washington University

Employee reviews

3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023

Pros of working at Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA is a beautiful place to live. Progressive campus.

Cons of working at Western Washington University

Underfunded and large salary gap between faculty, staff, and departments.

Western Washington University benefits

Bellingham, WA is a beautiful place to live.

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Frequently asked questions about Western Washington University salaries

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How much does Western Washington University pay an hour?

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Western Washington University Salaries

Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Western Washington University, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Western Washington University. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Western Washington University. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Western Washington University. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Western Washington University and its employees or that of Zippia.