washington business
“We feel often like it’s the forgotten
legacy industry”
annual economic impact in washington
— Joshua Berger, maritime lead, state Department
of Commerce
water transportation (ferries, cruise lines, charters);
boat and ship building, repair and maintenance;
maritime logistics and shipping (port and harbor
operations, inland water freight transport, refrigerated
warehousing and storage); fishing and seafood
products (commercial and recreational, the North
Pacific fishing fleet, seafood processing); and maritime
support services (boat dealers, marinas, fueling, naval
architects and other professional services).
The CAI analysis breaks down the industry’s $30
billion annual impact on Washington like this: $15.2
billion in direct gross business income plus $14.8
billion in additional economic activity generated by
the industry. The sector employs more than 57,700
people directly and accounts for
another 90,000 jobs in the economy.
Additional Revenue*
Direct Revenue
$14.8 Billion
$15.2 Billion
Combined Annual Impact
to Washington Economy
$30 Billion
*Additional revenue refers to indirect impacts associated with first round
purchases through suppliers as well as induced impacts through labor income
and additional jobs, income, and output resulting from the spending of this
income in Washington.
diversified, high wage
employment opportunities
Employment is broadly distributed.
T h e C A I st u d y i d e n t i f i e s 2,0 9 0
maritime businesses statewide. The
three dominant employer groups in
the industry are cargo handling and
logistics; boat building, repair and
maintenance, and fishing and seafood
products.
These are good jobs. Across all
businesses, the median maritime
wage is $70,800, nearly $21,000
higher than the statewide median
wage of $51,000.
Eric Johnson says, “There’s a lot of
The MV Puyallup is illuminated during repairs at the Vigor Shipyards dry dock in Seattle.
The maritime industry paid
nearly $4 billion
in wages in 2012, with average
salaries of $70,800.
In comparison, the state’s
median wage is $51,000.
discussion of income inequality. When you ask people how they want to create
high-wage jobs, you tend to get aspirational bromides. Meanwhile, you have a
vibrant, existing, proven sector in your economy which is a tremendous asset for
us and not something we can take for granted.”
Sewell also points out that the vast majority of these jobs do not require a college
degree. Workforce development, education and training is another key priority
in the state’s maritime strategy, including making students, teachers and parents
aware of the opportunities in the industry.
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