Mission: Working for a safe, affordable, vibrant, innovative and connected city.
We have a tradition here at the City of Seattle which has reached new heights. Fridays are Blue Friday to honor the Seattle Seahawks. Most business groups are encouraged to wear our team colors proudly, so you'll see folks in jerseys, t-shirts, or even sporting blue hair. It's sure to lift spirits to see everyone so excited for the Hawks.
Seattle is known for innovation, progress and creative solutions. The City of Seattle provides a remarkable range of opportunities for people seeking a way to make their work mean more; engaging with and representing the interests of all the members of our community, impacting the lives of residents and visitors, and leading environmental stewardship and social justice work. Where else can you contribute in as many ways to your community?
The City of Seattle offers a competitive and comprehensive pay package to their employees. Benefit eligibility and programs may vary by job status (e.g. full-time or part-time, regular or temporary, and represented or non-represented).
Competitive Salary Ranges
View the current Salary Schedule for position pay ranges.
Current Salary Schedule
The following is a brief summary of the benefit programs for the City’s non-represented employees. Benefits for employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement may have different benefits.
Eligibility
As a new hire your coverage begins on the first calendar day of the month if your hired date is on the first of that month. Otherwise your coverage begins on the first of the following month.
Eligible dependents
Premiums for the following health and welfare benefits are paid entirely by City of Seattle
Dental
Employees may select from two dental plans – Washington Dental Service, an incentive plan or Dental Health Services, a managed care plan. Our dental plans include coverage for eligible dependents.
Vision
The City has vision coverage through Vision Service Plan (VSP). The plan allows for an annual eye exam after $10 copay. Prescription eye glasses or contact lenses are covered every other year. Lenses are covered in full after $25 copay and frames are covered up to $150. For contact lenses, you will receive full payment for the eye exam and contact lens evaluation exam, and fitting and materials covered up to $120 allowance. The vision plan includes coverage for eligible dependents.
Long Term Disability
If you become disabled, after a 90-day waiting period, the plan will pay you a basic benefit of $400 month while you are unable to work. You have the option to purchase supplemental long-term disability benefits (see below).
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
EAP is a referral and counseling service where employees and family members can get confidential assistance with personal issues, such as stress, depression, family/relationship problems, and financial counseling. Each family is eligible for six free one-hour sessions per calendar year without having to use sick leave or work time.
Medical
Employees may select from four medical plans – the Group Health Cooperative Standard Plan, Group Health Cooperative Deductible Plan, City of Seattle Preventive Plan, and City of Seattle Traditional Plan.The monthly cost for each of the Plans are as follows
Group Term Life (GTL)
You can select from one of two plans – Basic GLT which is one-and-a-half times your annual earnings or Limited Basic GTL of $50,000. The City will contribute 40% of the cost for the GTL insurance. You have the option to purchase Supplemental GTL (see below).
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
The City sponsors a Health Care FSA and Day Care FSA. The Health Care FSA allows for you to use pre-tax dollars to receive reimbursement for eligible expenses relating to medical, dental, and vision. The Dependent Care FSA allows for you to receive reimbursement for eligible day care expenses for your dependent child up to age 13, disabled spouse/domestic partner, or dependent parent. You can elect a minimum of $300 up to $5,000 per year for each Plan. If you elect to participate in this plan and want to continue your participation, you will need to re-enroll each year during the City’s open enrollment period.
Supplemental Long Term Disability
You may purchase supplemental long term disability coverage to provide you with up to 60% of your base salary over $667 up to a maximum of $8,333 per month.
Supplemental Term Life Insurance
If you have elected Basic Group Term Life you may purchase supplemental term life insurance for yourself, spouse/domestic partner, and dependent children. The maximum amount of life insurance available is four times your annual income for the employee, 50% of the amount of coverage you elect for the spouse, and $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000 for children.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)
You may purchase AD&D insurance for yourself, or for you and your family. Coverage is available from $25,000 to $500,000.
Long Term Care Insurance (LTC)
LTC insurance helps pay for nursing home care and cost for assistance with activities of daily living. You may purchase LTC insurance for yourself or other eligible family members.
Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS)
Participation is mandatory for non-exempt employees. Participation is optional for exempt employees. As a participant you contribute 8.03% of your salary towards your retirement. Contributions and earnings are tax deferred. You are 100% vested in your contributions and their earnings. The City also pays 8.03% of your salary towards your retirement. You become vested (eligible for a monthly benefit at retirement age) at five years of service. If you leave City employment before retirement and withdraw your contributions, you will not be entitled to any of the City’s contributions.
SCERS has reciprocal agreements with the Washington State Retirement System and with the retirement plans for Cities of Tacoma and Spokane employees. Your total service under all retirement plans is included to qualify for retirement and the final average salary will be based on your highest salary, regardless of which system you are on at the time you retire. A withdrawal of your benefits from any of the plans voids inclusion of your service. If already withdrawn, you may be able to restore your benefits by contacting the applicable plan administrator.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Enrollment in the City sponsored 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) administered by Prudential Retirement is voluntary. Contributions and earnings are tax deferred (not taxed until taken out). You may enroll or change your contribution at any time. You may contribute as little as $20 per month or as much as 50% of your annual income (subject to IRS annual limitations). To allow for flexibility, the DCP has loan and hardship withdrawal provisions. The City does not match your contributions.
Transportation
The City offers up to a $72 per month subsidy for transit passes. You can pay for transit and parking on a pre-tax basis through payroll deductions. As part of the commute trip reduction program, the City has a guaranteed ride home for employees that use the transit system, carpool, and/or bike to work.
City employees are also eligible to receive discounted membership in Zipcar. The City will pay the application and membership fee. Your monthly cost as a member will depend on how much you use the Zipcar vehicles.
Holidays
The City observes 10 official holidays and 2 personal holidays. An official holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday. An official holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed on the Monday immediately following. Employees may take their personal holidays at any time with supervisory approval.
Vacation
Eligible City employees accrue vacation based on hours on regular pay status. The amount of vacation earned depends on the employee's length of service—from 12 days per year for a new employee to 30 days per year after 29 years of employment.
Sick Leave
City employees accrue sick leave based on the number of regular hours worked. Full time employees earn 96 hours of sick leave per year. You may carry over your unused sick leave, there is no maximum accumulation.
The City has a sick leave transfer program where employees can donate sick leave to an employee who has exhausted their sick leave.
Other Policies
The City also has the following paid and unpaid leaves: funeral leave, Family and Medical Leave, pregnancy disability, jury duty, military duty leave, leave for employee assistance plan counseling, transplant donor leave, unpaid personal leave, and sabbatical leave.
The City of Seattle offers a competitive and comprehensive vacation and leave package to their employees. Benefit eligibility and programs may vary by job status (e.g. full-time or part-time, regular or temporary, and represented or non-represented).
Holidays
The City observes 10 official holidays and 2 personal holidays. An official holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday. An official holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed on the Monday immediately following. Employees may take their personal holidays at any time with supervisory approval.
Vacation
Eligible City employees accrue vacation based on hours on regular pay status. The amount of vacation earned depends on the employee's length of service—from 12 days per year for a new employee to 30 days per year after 29 years of employment.
Sick Leave
City employees accrue sick leave based on the number of regular hours worked. Full time employees earn 96 hours of sick leave per year. You may carry over your unused sick leave, there is no maximum accumulation.
The City has a sick leave transfer program where employees can donate sick leave to an employee who has exhausted their sick leave.
Other Leave Policies
The City also has the following paid and unpaid leaves:
I worked at City of Seattle full-time (More than 5 years)
Pros
Great advancement opportunities in the utility industry for women. Benefits were a big bonus and overall this is a wonderful place to work.
Cons
For some advancement opportunities, higher education is required. There is some tuition reimbursement but my student loans are now pretty expensive.
Advice to Management
Stay committed to actually hiring the most qualified candidates based on time on job and performance. Continue to work on group moral.
Helpful (1)
Application
I applied online. I interviewed at City of Seattle (Seattle, WA) in May 2017.
Interview
Interviewed at the Seattle Municipal Tower, by a panel of 3 resident engineers. I was given a script with set of questions few minutes beforehand. Questions were mostly behavioral and situational. The interviewers rotated reading the questions out, and asked supplemental questions afterwards. Overall the interview was painless, and the panel was very friendly. I was called by the hiring manager about a week later to extend me the offer.
Interview Questions
