Jobs in Puyallup: Who Is Hiring In and Around the City

People move to Puyallup for a home and then ask where they will work. Others arrive with a job offer in Tacoma, Kent, or at the base and want to know if Puyallup is a sensible place to live.

Both groups need the same map. Puyallup has a solid local job base, and its bigger strength is location. It sits inside one of the largest labor markets in the Northwest, with major job centers in three directions.

I am a real estate broker, not a recruiter. What I can give you is the lay of the land.

Jobs inside Puyallup

Health care

Health care is the largest source of professional jobs in the city. MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital sits just east of downtown, with a 24-hour emergency department, a birth center, and a rehabilitation center. Around it and along Meridian are specialty clinics, urgent care centers, dental and vision practices, physical therapy offices, and senior care communities.

Roles range from physicians and nurses to medical assistants, technicians, schedulers, billing staff, and facilities workers. For health care workers, Puyallup is one of the easier places in Pierce County to find work close to home.

Education

The Puyallup School District is one of the larger districts in Washington, with about 23,000 students across more than thirty schools. It employs teachers, paraeducators, bus drivers, food service staff, custodians, office staff, coaches, and administrators, and it hires substitutes year-round.

Pierce College has a campus in Puyallup, and Washington State University operates a research and extension center in the valley. Private schools and childcare centers add to the total.

Retail, restaurants, and services

Meridian and South Hill are the retail center for a large part of east Pierce County. The mall, big-box stores, auto dealerships, grocery chains, and hundreds of restaurants and small businesses employ thousands.

These jobs are plentiful and the hours are flexible. Pay tends to sit at the lower end, with management and skilled trades as the exceptions.

The fair and events

The Washington State Fair is a year-round organization with a seasonal surge. It hires heavily for the September fair and the spring event, and the fairgrounds host more than a hundred other events a year. Vendors, concessionaires, and contractors hire alongside it. For students, retirees, and anyone looking for seasonal income, it is a local institution.

Government and public safety

The City of Puyallup employs police officers, public works crews, planners, parks staff, librarians, and administrators. Pierce County, the fire district, and state agencies have a presence as well.

Construction and the trades

Steady residential growth across South Hill and the surrounding area keeps builders, remodelers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, landscapers, and roofers busy. Many are small local firms. If you are in the trades, work is close at hand.

Professional and small business

Banks, insurance agencies, law and accounting offices, real estate firms, and engineering and design practices cluster downtown and along the main corridors. Puyallup also has a healthy base of home-based and small independent businesses.

Job centers within about 30 minutes

This is where the location pays off.

A few of these deserve a closer look.

The Sumner to Kent valley. State Route 167 runs north from Puyallup through one of the most concentrated warehouse and manufacturing corridors in the western United States. Distribution centers, food processors, aerospace suppliers, and outdoor and apparel companies operate here. For logistics, operations, maintenance, and manufacturing workers, the commute from Puyallup is short and runs partly against the main flow.

The port. The Port of Tacoma and the industrial tideflats around it support longshore, trucking, warehousing, and marine jobs. River Road connects the valley to the port directly.

The base. Joint Base Lewis-McChord is the largest single employment site in Pierce County, and a large civilian workforce supports it. See my post on commuting from Puyallup to JBLM.

Frederickson. Just south of South Hill is an industrial area with aerospace manufacturing and other plants. For people living on the south end of the plateau, it is the closest major job site.

Seattle and Bellevue

Seattle is about 35 miles north. The Sounder commuter train runs from downtown Puyallup to King Street Station in under 50 minutes on weekdays, which opens up downtown Seattle jobs for people willing to keep a commuter schedule. I cover it in my post on taking the Sounder from Puyallup to Seattle.

Bellevue and the Eastside are a harder trip, by State Route 167 and Interstate 405. People do it, more often on hybrid schedules than five days a week.

The county picture

It helps to know what the regional economy runs on. According to the state Employment Security Department's Pierce County profile, the largest employment sectors in the county are:

Government is first because of public schools, local and state agencies, and federal civilian jobs. Health care is close behind. Transportation and warehousing, driven by the port and the industrial valley, is another pillar.

The profile also names Joint Base Lewis-McChord and port-related trade and logistics as major regional drivers. That mix has been stable for a long time, which makes Pierce County's economy less tied to any single industry than some of its neighbors.

How people here actually commute

A useful way to understand the local job market is to look at where residents go each morning.

• A large share stay in Pierce County, working in Puyallup itself, in Tacoma, at the base, or in the nearby industrial areas.
• A significant share head north into King County, mostly to Auburn, Kent, Renton, and Seattle. This flow is what fills State Route 167 before sunrise.
• A smaller share go the other way. People who live in Tacoma, Bonney Lake, Orting, and Graham come into Puyallup to work at the hospital, the schools, and the stores on Meridian.

That last point matters if you work locally. A commute from within the Puyallup area to a Puyallup job is short, and it mostly avoids the freeways.

Work for teens and students

Families with teenagers often ask about first jobs. There are plenty.

• The fair hires many seasonal workers each year.
• Restaurants, grocery stores, and shops along Meridian and downtown hire part-time staff year-round.
• Parks and recreation programs, the YMCA, and summer camps hire lifeguards, counselors, and coaches.
• Farms in the valley hire for berry and pumpkin seasons.

High school juniors and seniors in Washington can also earn college credit at no tuition cost through the state's Running Start program at community colleges, including Pierce College Puyallup.

For military spouses and partners

Households tied to the base often have a second career to place. Health care, education, and logistics are the three fields where a move to this area most often leads to a job quickly. Washington offers licensing help for military spouses in some professions, and the base runs an employment readiness program. It is worth a call before you arrive.

Remote and hybrid work

A growing share of Puyallup residents work for employers in Seattle, Bellevue, or out of state and go in a few days a week or not at all. The area suits that arrangement for three reasons.

• Homes are larger for the money than in much of King County, so a dedicated office is realistic.
• The Sounder makes an occasional Seattle office day easy.
• Sea-Tac is under an hour away for work travel.

If you work from home, check internet service at the specific address before you buy. Coverage is strong across the built-up area and less certain on rural edges and acreage.

Starting or moving a business

Puyallup has an active small business community and a downtown association that supports local shops.

A few practical points:

• City or county. A business inside city limits needs a city business license in addition to the state license. In unincorporated areas the county's rules apply.
• Home-based businesses are generally allowed with limits on signs, employees, and customer traffic. Homeowner associations may add their own restrictions. Read the covenants if you plan to see clients at home.
• Taxes. Washington has no personal income tax. Businesses pay a state business and occupation tax on gross receipts, and some cities levy their own.
• Space. Retail and office space is concentrated downtown and along Meridian. Light industrial space is more common in Sumner, Fife, and Frederickson.

Wages and the cost of living

Washington's minimum wage is among the highest in the country and adjusts each year. Local wages for skilled trades, health care, and logistics are competitive for the region.

Housing is the big expense. Many households here rely on two incomes, and one of those is often earned outside the city. I walk through the numbers in my posts on the cost of living in Puyallup and the income a family needs to live here.

Where to look for work

• WorkSource Pierce, the state and county workforce system, lists openings and offers free job search help and training programs.
• Employer career pages. The hospital system, the school district, the city, the county, the fair, and Pierce College all post directly.
• Federal jobs at the base are posted on the federal government's hiring site.
• Union halls and apprenticeship programs for the trades and the port.
• Staffing agencies place many of the warehouse and light industrial jobs in the Sumner to Kent corridor.
• Pierce College and area technical colleges run short-term training tied to local employers.

If you are relocating for a job

Take the offer first, then choose the house. I mean that literally. The location of your job should decide which side of the Puyallup area you live on.

• A job in Kent or Auburn points you to the north and east side.
• A job at the base points you to the west side.
• A job in downtown Seattle points you to the valley, near the train.
• A job at the hospital or the school district lets you live almost anywhere and enjoy a ten-minute drive.

If two people are working, map both. If one job might change, favor a central location with access to more than one route. My post on which parts of Puyallup are best for your commute goes through the options.

Frequently asked questions

What are the major employers in Puyallup?

The largest are in health care and education, including MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital and the Puyallup School District, along with retail and services on Meridian, the Washington State Fair, and city government.

Are there good jobs near Puyallup?

Yes. Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the Sumner, Auburn, and Kent industrial valley are all within about 30 minutes, and together they make up one of the largest job markets in the state.

Can I live in Puyallup and work in Seattle?

Yes. Many residents do, most often using the Sounder commuter train on weekdays or working a hybrid schedule.

What industries are biggest in Pierce County?

Government, health care, retail, and accommodation and food services are the largest by employment, with transportation and warehousing, the military, and port trade as major drivers.

Is Puyallup a good place for remote workers?

Many remote and hybrid workers choose it for larger homes, train access to Seattle, and proximity to the airport. Check internet service at the specific address before buying.

Related reading

• Which Parts of Puyallup Are Best for Your Commute?
• Can You Live in Puyallup and Commute to Seattle?
• Commuting From Puyallup to Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• Cost of Living in Puyallup: What It Takes to Live Comfortably

Equal Housing Opportunity. Austin Robertson, License # 21036843, Austin Robertson and Allena Robertson Real Estate Brokers, regulated by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, insurance, lending, or construction advice, and it is not an appraisal of any property. Robertson & Co. supports fair housing and does not describe or recommend neighborhoods based on who lives there. Costs, rates, and rules change. Confirm the details with the sources linked above before you act.