(Courtesy of Tacoma News Tribune)
| Washingtons largest employers | ||||||||
| 96Rank/95 Rank | Company | Washington employees | Worldwide employees | City | State | Yr. inc. | Business Description | |
| 1/1 | Boeing Co. | 73,164 | 106,993 | Seattle | WA | 1934 | aerospace/defense | |
| 2/2 | Safeway Inc. | 16,000 | 114,000 | Oakland | CA | 1926 | retail grocery | |
| 3/8 | McDonalds Corp. | 13,000 | 500,000 | Oak Brook | IL | 1965 | restaurants/ food service | |
| 4/6 | Sisters of Providence* | 11,351 | 24,308 | Seattle | WA | 1889 | medical centers | |
| 5/7 | Microsoft Corp. | 10,591 | 18,700 | Redmond | WA | 1975 | computer software | |
| 6/5 | Weyerhaeuser Co. | 10,000 | 39,431 | Tacoma | WA | 1900 | forest products | |
| 7/4 | Group Health Co-Op of Puget Sound* | 9,000 | 9,000 | Seattle | WA | 1945 | health maintenence | |
| 8/12 | Fred Meyer Inc. | 8,700 | 27,000 | Portland | OR | 1922 | retail - department stores | |
| 9/9 | BankAmerica (Seafirst Bank) | 7,300 | 79,916 | San Francisco | CA | 1930 | commercial bank | |
| 10/10 | U S West Communications Group | 7,036 | 48,800 | Englewood | CO | 1983 | utilities - telecomm. | |
| 11/14 | Albertsons Inc. | 6,200 | 78,000 | Boise | ID | 1969 | retail - grocery | |
| 12/3 | Westinghouse Electric Corp. (Hanford) | 6,020 | 77,813 | Pittsburgh | PA | 1900 | electrical equipment | |
| 13/13 | Nordstrom Inc. | 6,000 | 35,000 | Seattle | WA | 1946 | retail - department stores | |
| 14/15 | Alaska Air Group Inc. | 5,671 | 10,467 | Seattle | WA | 1985 | transportation - air | |
| 15/11 | Sears, Roebuck and Co. | 5,500 | 320,000 | Chicago | IL | 1886 | retail - department stores | |
| 16/18 | Dayton Hudson Corp. (Target, Mervyns) | 5,450 | 214,000 | Minneapolis | MN | 1902 | retail - general | |
| 17/16 | Federated Dept. Stores Inc. (Bon Marche) | 5,172 | 111,700 | Cincinnati | OH | 1929 | retail - department stores | |
| 18/23 | PriceCostco Inc. | 5,000 | 52,000 | Issaquah | WA | 1987 | retail - general | |
| 19/NR | Thrifty Payless Inc. | 4,425 | 31,884 | Wilsonville | OR | 1995 | retail - drugs | |
| 20/22 | KeyCorp (Key Bank) | 4,264 | 29,211 | Cleveland | OH | 1825 | commercial banks | |
| 21/27 | Quality Food Centers Inc. | 4,200 | 4,200 | Bellevue | WA | 1987 | retail - grocery | |
| 22/20 | United Parcel Service* | 4,100 | 315,000 | Atlanta | GA | 1907 | package distribution | |
| 23/19 | Kmart Corp. | 4,075 | 300,000 | Troy | MI | 1899 | retail - department stores | |
| 24/30 | Hewlett-Packard Co. | 4,000 | 105,200 | Palo Alto | CA | 1947 | electronics | |
| 25/25 | Battelle* | 3,900 | 8,000 | Columbus | OH | 1925 | research & development | |
| 26/33 | Swedish Hospital Medical Center* | 3,850 | 3,850 | Seattle | WA | 1910 | medical center | |
| 27/32 | Multicare Health System* | 3,800 | 3,800 | Tacoma | WA | 1882 | medical center | |
| 28/26 | Virginia Mason Medical Center* | 3,800 | 3,800 | Seattle | WA | 1920 | medical center | |
| 29/21 | J.C. Penney Co. Inc. | 3,586 | 202,000 | Plano | TX | 1924 | retail - department stores | |
| 30/31 | Catholic Health Initiative (Franciscan)* | 3,515 | 45,000 | Denver | CO | 1996 | medical center | |
| 31/40 | Safeco Corp. | 3,500 | 7,550 | Seattle | WA | 1923 | insurance | |
| 32/28 | Washington Mutual Inc. | 3,419 | 4,364 | Seattle | WA | 1994 | financial - savings & loans | |
| 33/36 | Sacred Heart Hospital* | 3,400 | 3,400 | Spokane | WA | 1886 | medical center | |
| 34/24 | Paccar Inc. (Kenworth Truck Co.) | 3,200 | 13,500 | Bellevue | WA | 1905 | auto & trucks | |
| 35/37 | Kaiser Aluminum Corp. | 3,000 | 9,600 | Houston | TX | 1946 | metals - diversified | |
| 36/44 | Red Lion Hotels Inc. | 2,569 | 11,462 | Vancouver | WA | 1987 | hotels | |
| 37/51 | Eagle Hardware & Garden Inc. | 2,513 | 3,920 | Tukwila | WA | 1992 | retail - home centers | |
| 38/58 | Starbucks Corp. | 2,502 | 13,449 | Seattle | WA | 1985 | retail - coffee | |
| 39/56 | Deaconess Medical Center* | 2,500 | 2,500 | Spokane | WA | 1896 | medical center | |
| 40/35 | The Seattle Times Co.* | 2,500 | 2,500 | Seattle | WA | 1896 | newspapers | |
| 41/78 | A T & T Corp. | 2,450 | 299,300 | New York | NY | 1885 | telecommunications | |
| 42/29 | GTE Corp. | 2,444 | 106,000 | Stamford | CT | 1988 | utilities - telecomm. | |
| 43/34 | U.S. Bancorp (U.S. Bank) | 2,420 | 14,081 | Portland | OR | 1891 | commercial banks | |
| 44/NR | ConAgra Inc. (Lamb Weston, Inc.) | 2,400 | 90,871 | Omaha | NE | 1919 | food - processing | |
| 45/43 | Simpson Investment Co.* | 2,400 | 6,500 | Seattle | WA | 1895 | timber | |
| 46/47 | Longview Fibre Co. | 2,400 | 3,800 | Longview | WA | 1926 | forest products & paper | |
| 47/42 | Haggen Inc.* | 2,400 | 2,400 | Bellingham | WA | 1962 | retail - grocer | |
| 48/39 | Boise Cascade Corp. | 2,351 | 18,087 | Boise | ID | 1931 | forest products & paper | |
| 49/45 | First Interstate Bancorp/Wells Fargo | 2,200 | 27,394 | Los Angeles | CA | 1958 | commercial banks | |
| 50/46 | Childrens Hospital & Medical Center* | 2,200 | 2,200 | Seattle | WA | 1907 | medical center | |
| 51/48 | Good Samaritan Comm. HealthCare* | 2,200 | 2,200 | Puyallup | WA | 1952 | medical center | |
| 52/38 | Puget Sound Power & Light Co. | 2,150 | 2,150 | Bellevue | WA | 1912 | utilities - electric | |
| 53/NR | B.F. Goodrich Co. (Tramco Inc.) | 2,127 | 13,275 | Akron | OH | 1870 | chemicals/aerospace | |
| 54/NR | PeaceHealth* | 2,080 | 5,308 | Bellevue | WA | 1974 | health services | |
| 55/39 | Ernst Home Center Inc. | 2,068 | 4,035 | Seattle | WA | 1893 | retail home centers | |
| 56/55 | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research* | 2,008 | 2,008 | Seattle | WA | 1975 | medical center | |
| 57/54 | James River Corp. of Virginia | 2,000 | 33,800 | Richmond | VA | 1969 | forest products & paper | |
| 58/NR | Spiegal Inc. (Eddie Bauer) | 2,000 | 15,000 | Downers Grove | IL | 1965 | retail - special line | |
| 59/50 | SW Washington Medical Center* | 2,000 | 2,000 | Vancouver | WA | 1858 | medical center | |
| 60/52 | Thrifty Foods Inc.* | 2,000 | 2,000 | Burlington | WA | 1972 | supermarket chain | |
| 61/53 | Northwest Airlines Corp. | 1,996 | 43,000 | Egan | MN | 1926 | transportation - air | |
| 62/37 | ICF Kaiser Intl. Inc. (ICF Kaiser Hanford) | 1,927 | 7,500 | Fairfax | VA | 1914 | environmental control | |
| 63/62 | King County Medical Blue Shield* | 1,800 | 1,800 | Seattle | WA | 1933 | medical center | |
| 64/68 | Keith Uddenberg Inc.* | 1,800 | 1,800 | Gig Harbor | WA | 1955 | grocery | |
| 65/72 | Northwest Hospital* | 1,700 | 1,700 | Seattle | WA | 1949 | medical center | |
| 66/59 | U S West New Vector Group Inc. | 1,655 | 2,300 | Bellevue | WA | 1983 | telecommunications | |
| 67/89 | Overlake Hospital Medical Center* | 1,517 | 1,517 | Seattle | WA | 1957 | medical center | |
| 68/49 | UAL Corp. (United Airlines) | 1,500 | 83,929 | Elk Grove | IL | 1926 | transportation - air | |
| 69/64 | Fluke Corp. | 1,400 | 2,516 | Everett | WA | 1948 | electrical equipment | |
| 70/71 | SEH America | 1,400 | 5500 | Vancouver | WA | 1926 | high-tech manufacturing | |
| 71/NR | Twin City Foods Inc.* | 1,400 | 1,800 | Stanwood | WA | 1945 | frozen food processing | |
| 72/66 | Advanced Technology Laboratories Inc. | 1,350 | 2,600 | Bothell | WA | 1983 | medical - biotechnology | |
| 73/99 | Specialty Foods Corp. (Gais Bakery) | 1,333 | 14,000 | Chicago | IL | 1993 | bakery | |
| 74/73 | Recreation Equipment Inc. * | 1,300 | 4,500 | Kent | WA | 1938 | retail - special line | |
| 75/75 | Blue Cross of WA and AK* | 1,365 | 1,368 | Mountlake Terrace | WA | 1945 | health care | |
| 76/98 | Brunswick (U.S. Marine/Bayliner) | 1,290 | 20,800 | Lake Forest | IL | 1845 | leisure time | |
| 77/63 | Washington Energy Co. | 1,270 | 1,270 | Seattle | WA | 1977 | utilities - gas | |
| 78/87 | Harrison Memorial Hospital* | 1,250 | 1,250 | Bremerton | WA | 1942 | medical center | |
| 79/NR | Quad-C Health Care Centers* | 1,220 | 1,220 | Tacoma | WA | 1220 | health services | |
| 80/60 | Airborne Freight Corp. | 1,200 | 19,500 | Seattle | WA | 1968 | transportation - air | |
| 81/85 | Alumax Inc. | 1,200 | 15,500 | Norcross | GA | 1887 | mining | |
| 82/96 | McClatchy Newspapers (The News Tribune) | 1,200 | 7,500 | Sacramento | CA | 1857 | newspapers | |
| 83/65 | Associated Grocers* | 1,200 | 1,200 | Seattle | WA | 1934 | wholesale grocery | |
| 84/80 | Georgia Pacific Corp. | 1,100 | 47,000 | Atlanta | GA | 1927 | forest products & paper | |
| 85/82 | Nintendo Co. Ltd. (Nintendo America) | 1,100 | 1.6 | Kyoto | (Japan) | 1947 | video game manufacturer | |
| 86/76 | Tree Top Inc.* | 1,100 | 1,200 | Selah | WA | 1960 | food processing | |
| 87/77 | Washington Water Power Co. | 1,072 | 1,378 | Spokane | WA | 1889 | utilities - electric | |
| 88/79 | Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) | 1,062 | 72,000 | Pittsburgh | PA | 1888 | metals - diversified | |
| 89/86 | Todd Shipyards Corp. | 1,030 | 1,030 | Seattle | WA | 1916 | ship manufacturer | |
| 90/NR | Darigold Inc.* | 1,040 | 1,640 | Seattle | WA | 1918 | food processing | |
| 91/74 | Lamonts Apparel Inc. | 1,002 | 2,000 | Bellevue | WA | 1985 | retail - apparel | |
| 92/NR | Whitbread PLC (Keg Restaurants) | 1,000 | 65,238 | London | (UK) | 1742 | restaurants/breweries | |
| 93/94 | Goodale & Barbieri Co.* | 975 | 1,043 | Spokane | WA | 1978 | hotels, real estate | |
| 94/90 | SuperValu Inc. (West Coast Grocers) | 950 | 42,000 | Eden Prairie | MN | 1926 | food - wholesale | |
| 95/NR | Frank Russell Co.* | 950 | 950 | Tacoma | WA | 1936 | investment management | |
| 96/NR | Seattle University* | 947 | 947 | Seattle | WA | 1891 | education | |
| 97/95 | Pacific Telecom* | 918 | 2,271 | Vancouver | WA | 1955 | utilities - telecomm. | |
| 98/NR | Milgard Manufacturing Inc.* | 900 | 2,000 | Tacoma | WA | 1962 | windows & doors | |
| 99/NR | Rosauers Supermarkets* | 900 | 1,600 | Spokane | WA | 1949 | food & drug | |
| 100/93 | Bartell Drug Co.* | 900 | 900 | Seattle | WA | 1890 | drugstores | |