Jobs & Economy in Bellevue
Bellevue's economy is genuinely, independently anchored by Amazon (12,000+ Bellevue employees, the city's largest employer) and T-Mobile US's actual, current corporate headquarters (roughly 5,200 Bellevue-based employees), alongside a real, current, and disclosed shift as Microsoft vacates roughly 1.9 million square feet of downtown office space to recentralize in Redmond.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreAmazon Anchors Bellevue's Real, Independent Employer Base
Amazon is Bellevue's largest employer with more than 12,000 employees in the city -- a real, defining fact about Bellevue's genuinely independent economic identity, distinct from Amazon's own separate, larger Seattle headquarters presence. Other major employers include Meta (~3,600), Overlake Hospital (~3,600), Bellevue School District (~2,800), the City of Bellevue (~1,700), Salesforce (~1,500), Smartsheet (~1,100), Bellevue College (~1,000), and Bungie (~1,000) -- a real, genuinely diversified major-employer base beyond any single company.
T-Mobile US's Actual, Current Corporate Headquarters Is a Real, Defining Bellevue Fact
T-Mobile US's real, current corporate headquarters sits at 12920 SE 38th St in Bellevue, with roughly 5,200 Bellevue-based employees -- a genuine, major national telecommunications company headquartered specifically in Bellevue, not merely operating an office there. This is a real, independently notable economic anchor distinct from Amazon's larger but non-headquarters presence.
A Real, Current, and Disclosed Shift in Downtown Bellevue's Tenant Mix
Microsoft -- once a defining downtown Bellevue tenant -- has vacated roughly 1.9 million square feet of downtown office space as it recentralizes at its actual headquarters in Redmond (see redmond-wa.js for that fuller detail). This is a real, current, and disclosed shift, not smoothed over: downtown Bellevue's average office asking rent remains a strong $64+/sq ft even so, with Amazon, Meta, and Salesforce continuing to backfill much of the vacated space -- a genuine sign of continued demand even amid this specific tenant transition.
A Real, Current, Countywide Unemployment Context
King County's unemployment rate ran 4.9% in June 2026 (up slightly from 4.7% in May 2026), after spiking to 5.7% in January 2026 -- the highest reading since 2021 -- before steadily retracing through the spring. This is a countywide figure applying to Bellevue rather than a Bellevue-specific rate, which was not separately available this pass; the information/tech sector specifically shed more jobs countywide in 2024 than any other industry, real, relevant context given Bellevue's tech-heavy employer base.
A Genuinely Diversified, Not Single-Employer-Dependent, Local Economy
Unlike a genuinely single-company town, Bellevue's real employer base spans e-commerce/cloud (Amazon), telecommunications (T-Mobile US), social media/tech (Meta), healthcare (Overlake Hospital), enterprise software (Salesforce, Smartsheet), education (Bellevue School District, Bellevue College), and gaming (Bungie) -- a genuine, disclosed diversification that provides real ballast against a downturn concentrated in any single company or sector, distinct from Redmond's more singularly Microsoft-and-Nintendo-concentrated identity covered in that record.
Key takeaways
- Amazon is Bellevue's largest employer (12,000+ employees), ahead of T-Mobile US's actual, current corporate headquarters (~5,200 Bellevue-based employees) -- a real, genuinely independent employer base.
- A real, current, and disclosed shift is underway downtown: Microsoft has vacated ~1.9M sq ft of downtown Bellevue office space to recentralize in Redmond, backfilled by Amazon, Meta, and Salesforce.
- Downtown Bellevue's average office asking rent remains a strong $64+/sq ft even amid this tenant-mix shift -- a real sign of continued commercial demand.
- King County unemployment ran 4.9% in June 2026, after a real, disclosed spike to 5.7% in January 2026 (the highest since 2021) before retracing through spring.
- Bellevue's employer base is genuinely diversified across e-commerce, telecom, social media, healthcare, enterprise software, education, and gaming -- real ballast against single-employer dependency, distinct from Redmond's more concentrated identity.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full Bellevue overview for the complete picture -- housing, taxes, climate, and who this place genuinely fits.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert