Aerospace

The Puget Sound region has a proud history and a strong future as a leader in the aerospace industry. In 2011, the 650 aerospace-related companies around Washington State directly supported approximately 84,000 jobs in the region. Each of those aerospace jobs, in turn, supports nearly three additional jobs elsewhere in the economy, making a total impact of nearly 250,000 jobs.

The largest employer is Boeing Commercial Airplanes, which is headquartered in Renton, about 15 minutes south of downtown Seattle.  Employees at the 278-acre Renton site produce Boeing’s advanced 737 airplane models. In Everett, just north of Seattle, the company is assembling the next generation 787 Dreamliner.

Efforts to support this important sector include the new Aerospace Futures Alliance of Washington, a statewide association launched in January 2006 that is raising the visibility of the aerospace industry and supporting policies conducive to future growth.