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State enforcement profile · #26 of 56 by penalties

Workplace enforcement in Washington

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Washington has 5,445 employers in the federal enforcement record, with 11,410 OSHA inspections and $12.2M in penalties assessed. The state's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $40.2M in back wages across 966 enforcement cases.

5,445
Employers
11,410
Inspections
$12.2M
OSHA penalties
$40.2M
Back wages

The state in one line

Washington ranks #26 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions by total OSHA penalties, with 28,812 violations cited across 11,410 inspections and $40.2M in wages recovered for workers.

#26
of 56 states by penalties
2.53
violations per inspection
$2K
avg penalty per employer
966
WHD wage-theft cases

What to check next

Washington's enforcement record is one jurisdiction in a national pattern. Treat it as a benchmark to drill down from, not a verdict on the state overall.

  • Washington averages 2.53 violations per inspection, above the 2.21 national average across 56 states.
  • See Washington's single worst-cited employer in full detail. King County Metro Transit record
  • Compare Washington against a similarly-sized state by employer count. Oregon record
  • Put two employers head-to-head on inspections, penalties, and back wages. Compare employers

What the data says about Washington

Federal workplace enforcement in Washington covers 5,445 employers with 11,410 total OSHA inspections on record. Inspectors documented 28,812 violations statewide, yielding 2.53 violations per inspection on average. OSHA has assessed $12.2M in penalties against employers in the state, averaging $2K per tracked employer.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) adds a separate enforcement layer, recovering $40.2M in back wages across 966 cases - an average of $42K per case. Combined OSHA and WHD enforcement activity gives workers, journalists, and researchers a verifiable record of which employers have been cited and which workplaces regulators have prioritized.

The employers listed on this page represent workplaces with at least two OSHA inspections or $1,000 or more in WHD back wages owed. Data is sourced directly from data.dol.gov. Penalty figures are current assessed amounts, reflecting any settlements, informal conference reductions, or formal contest outcomes. Click any employer below to view their full inspection history, violation breakdown by severity, and wage-compliance record.

How Washington compares to similarly-sized states

Total OSHA penalties: states with a similar number of tracked employers

  1. 1
    Georgia $57,227,186
  2. 2
    Nevada $33,508,424
  3. 3
    Tennessee $24,610,636
  4. 4
    Washington (this state) $12,220,960
  5. 5
    North Carolina $10,686,507
  6. 6
    Oregon $5,783,273

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Where Washington ranks nationally

Average OSHA penalty per tracked employer, vs all 56 U.S. jurisdictions

$2,244 Bottom 9% least affordable more affordable than 9% of 56 U.S. jurisdictions

$0–$2,000: 5 U.S. jurisdictions (9%). Below this entry. $2,000–$4,000: 11 U.S. jurisdictions (20%). This entry sits in this band. $4,000–$6,000: 15 U.S. jurisdictions (27%). Above this entry. $6,000–$8,000: 10 U.S. jurisdictions (18%). Above this entry. $8,000–$10,000: 5 U.S. jurisdictions (9%). Above this entry. $10,000–$12,000: 4 U.S. jurisdictions (7%). Above this entry. $12,000–$14,000: 2 U.S. jurisdictions (4%). Above this entry. $14,000–$16,000: 3 U.S. jurisdictions (5%). Above this entry. $16,000–$18,000: 0 U.S. jurisdictions (0%). Above this entry. $18,000–$20,000: 0 U.S. jurisdictions (0%). Above this entry. $20,000–$22,000: 1 U.S. jurisdictions (2%). Above this entry. $22,000–$24,000: 0 U.S. jurisdictions (0%). Above this entry. Washington $0 $24,000 every U.S. jurisdiction, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $2K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. jurisdictions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Top OSHA & wage enforcement actions in Washington

Ranked by combined OSHA penalties and DOL Wage & Hour Division back wages. Some employers below have wage-theft cases with zero OSHA safety violations, or vice versa; check the Inspections/Violations columns before drawing safety conclusions.

# Employer InspectionsViolationsPenalty + wages
1 King County Metro Transit Seattle 2 2 $3.3M
2 Zillow Seattle 0 0 $2.5M
3 Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation Seattle 0 0 $1.5M
4 Main Chinese Buffet Olympia 0 0 $1.3M
5 General Dynamics Land System, Inc. Dupont 0 0 $1.0M
6 Continental Floral Greens Shelton 0 0 $962K
7 Brothers Landscape Vashon Inc Vashon 0 0 $711K
8 Tubro Construction and Carpet Cleaning Auburn 0 0 $582K
9 Spa Therapy Bellingham 0 0 $521K
10 Azimetry Inc. Redmond 0 0 $436K
11 Pacific Glazing Solutions Woodinville 0 0 $388K
12 J & E Meza Plastering, Inc. Pasco 0 0 $381K
13 Partners Construction INC Seattle 6 28 $376K
14 Air Design Heating and Air Conditioning Spokane 0 0 $332K
15 Cannon Construction, Inc Milton 0 0 $327K
16 AEM Consulting, LLC Richland 0 0 $311K
17 People Tech Group Inc. Bellevue 0 0 $310K
18 Madison Manor & Edith Posadas, 3(d) Employer Tacoma 0 0 $290K
19 Evergreen Drywall LLC Puyallup 0 0 $286K
20 Sarbanand Farms Sumas 2 2 $270K

All employers in Washington

Employer CityInspectionsPenalty
JNS Construction INC Everett 2 $100
Pat Rimmer Tire Center INC Burlington 2 $100
Olympic Cinemas Bremerton 2 $100
Total Employment & Management Moses Lake 4 $100
Rhodes Crane & Rigging INC Spokane 7 $100
K & G Construction LLC Clarkston 3 $100
Auto Tech Kelso 2 $100
Seabrook Construction CO LLC Pacific Beach 2 $100
Synergy Construction INC Bellevue 2 $100
Zanies Spokane 2 $100
Busy Beaver Recycling LLC Everett 2 $100
Baron Construction Vashon 2 $100
Compassionate Critter Care Bremerton 2 $100
Atlantic Relocation Systems Tacoma 2 $100
Brogan Auto Repair Rainier 2 $100
Edmonds Landscaping INC Edmonds 2 $100
Vancouver Warehouse and Distri Vancouver 3 $100
Knobels Electric INC Yakima 2 $100
A & R Aviation Services Tumwater 3 $100
Talco Everett 2 $100
Miles & Sons INC Chehalis 2 $100
Best Western Harbor Plaza INC Oak Harbor 2 $100
Three V Plumbing CO. Moses Lake 4 $100
Fabricast Valve Kelso 2 $100
Pud #1 Franklin County Pasco 3 $100
US Marine Sales Olympia 2 $100
Old Cannery Furniture Warehous Sumner 2 $100
General Biodiesel Seattle LLC Seattle 2 $100
Michaelo Espresso INC Seattle 2 $100
Bowwow Fun Towne Kenmore 3 $100
Intergrated Management Systems Puyallup 2 $100
Ryder Truck Rental Tacoma 2 $100
Holmberg CO Seattle 2 $100
Lake Tyee Concrete 2 $100
Kylemont Industries Marysville 2 $100
McLendon Hardware INC Puyallup 3 $100
Paramount Supply Tacoma 2 $100
Universal Floor Maintenance IN Tacoma 2 $100
Servpro of Skagit County Mount Vernon 2 $100
Varrelman Concrete & Const Chelan 2 $100
Hansen Boat Company Everett 2 $100
Islander & Half Moon Bay the Westport 2 $100
Gray Mold CO INC Bellingham 2 $100
Bright Now Dental - Spokane Spokane 2 $100
All Safe Abatement Kennewick 3 $100
HST Construction INC Seattle 3 $100
Landmark Court Apt Tacoma 2 $100
Steel Stud Structures INC Moses Lake 2 $100
Jim Dandy Sewer Services INC Seattle 5 $100
West Bay Marina Associates Olympia 3 $100
← Previous Page 72 of 109 Next →

Nearby states by enforcement footprint

Oregon
5,122 employers · $5.8M
North Carolina
6,102 employers · $10.7M
Tennessee
6,262 employers · $24.6M
Georgia
6,288 employers · $57.2M
Nevada
4,365 employers · $33.5M

Compare top violators in Washington side-by-side →

Industries in Washington

Enforcement and wage-compliance data broken out by industry sector within Washington.

Accommodation & Food ServicesAdministrative & Waste ServicesAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing & HuntingArts, Entertainment & RecreationConstructionEducational ServicesFinance & InsuranceHealthcare & Social AssistanceInformationManufacturingMining, Quarrying, Oil & GasOtherOther ServicesProfessional & Technical ServicesPublic AdministrationReal Estate & RentalRetail TradeTransportation & WarehousingUtilitiesWholesale Trade

Top Cities in Washington

The 20 cities with the most employers in the federal enforcement record within Washington (of 142 total).

Seattle (700)Tacoma (322)Vancouver (245)Spokane (231)Olympia (150)Everett (137)Bellingham (137)Yakima (124)Kent (116)Puyallup (105)Bellevue (100)Moses Lake (86)Kennewick (74)Pasco (64)Mount Vernon (63)Lynnwood (63)Wenatchee (62)Longview (61)Auburn (58)Chehalis (57)

View all 142 cities in Washington →

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data, U.S. Department of Labor · Verify with OSHA establishment search →
Source: Wage & Hour Division Compliance Actions, U.S. Department of Labor · DOL WHD data →

Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.