Kennewick holds steady while Washington's job growth stalls statewide.
4.2%
Metro unemployment rate
vs 4.5% statewide, 4.2% national
-14,500 jobs
Washington September job change
State ranked 44th in job growth nationally
-0.5%
Statewide real wage change
3.1% wage growth vs 3.5% inflation
$1,480
Benton County average weekly wage
Q1 2026, vs $1,998 statewide average
This Month's Takeaways
01
Metro labor market is outperforming the state, not just tracking it.
Benton-Franklin's 4.2% unemployment rate held steady while Washington shed about 14,500 jobs statewide and ranked 44th nationally in job growth. Local health care and leisure gains appear to be insulating the metro from the broader state slowdown tied to retail and information-sector losses.
02
Knowledge-work pay is falling locally while frontline-service pay climbs.
Metro software engineer pay fell significantly (down to $145,754) and data engineer pay dropped even further, while registered nurse pay rose to $115,185 and teacher pay jumped significantly to $61,425. Divergence suggests local demand is concentrated in direct-service delivery rather than the white-collar sectors driving growth nationally.
03
Statewide wage-inflation gap likely touches household spending power here too.
Washington wages grew 3.1% year-over-year against 3.5% inflation, a real wage decline of roughly half a point annually, consistent with the national pattern of wages no longer outpacing prices. Local consumer spending and retail activity may soften even where job counts hold up.
04
Manufacturing pay gains contrast with a weakening statewide industrial base.
Manufacturing production worker pay rose significantly to $43,680 locally even as statewide job growth disappointed for a second straight month. Pattern may reflect Hanford-area and regional manufacturing demand holding firmer than the state's broader industrial contraction.
Local Economic Conditions
Kennewick-Richland-Pasco held a 4.2% unemployment rate in September, roughly in line with the national 4.2% reading but a touch tighter than Washington's statewide 4.5%, even as the state shed roughly 14,500 jobs for the month and ranked 44th in job growth. Local resilience traces to health care and leisure sector expansion offsetting declines in manufacturing and professional/business services, a pattern distinct from statewide softness concentrated in retail and information industries.
Open Threads in the Data
Metro stability amid statewide contraction suggests Benton-Franklin's health care, education, and public-sector base is functioning as a buffer against the broader Washington slowdown, a relevant data point for economic development officials weighing diversification strategy. Divergent local pay trends -- registered nurse and teacher pay rising while software engineer, data engineer, and accountant pay fall sharply -- point to a local economy rewarding frontline service delivery over knowledge-sector roles, a signal worth factoring into any pitch to attract tech or professional-services investment. Commerce leaders should consider evaluating whether current conditions favor doubling down on health care and public-sector anchors rather than counter-cyclical bets on white-collar relocation incentives.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA MSA metro — median advertised pay, its recent trend, and the number of active postings behind each figure. Jobs are grouped for readability and are not the same as the 10 sector classifications on the next page. For additional job detail contact WageScape.
Retail Trade
| Retail Sales Associate |
$39,416 |
↑ Moderate increase |
857 |
| Retail Cashier |
$37,440 |
→ Stable |
494 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$39,520 |
→ Stable |
230 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$80,147 |
↓ Moderate decline |
1,233 |
| Delivery Driver |
$36,942 |
↓ Significant decline |
620 |
| Warehouse Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$39,603 |
↓ Significant decline |
84 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$92,560 |
↓ Significant decline |
207 |
| HVAC Technician |
$70,720 |
↓ Significant decline |
27 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$43,680 |
↑ Significant increase |
51 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$41,600 |
→ Stable |
245 |
| Operations Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$33,882 |
↓ Moderate decline |
17 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$44,200 |
↓ Moderate decline |
707 |
| Registered Nurse |
$115,185 |
↑ Moderate increase |
3,271 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$46,209 |
↓ Moderate decline |
195 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
$145,754 |
↓ Significant decline |
47 |
| Data Engineer |
$95,061 |
↓ Significant decline |
41 |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$86,092 |
↓ Moderate decline |
135 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$77,792 |
↓ Significant decline |
18 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$62,389 |
→ Stable |
2,973 |
| Business Analyst |
$102,200 |
↑ Moderate increase |
10,776 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$98,684 |
↑ Moderate increase |
53 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$61,425 |
↑ Significant increase |
894 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$87,354 |
↑ Significant increase |
52 |
Industry Snapshot · Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA MSA
Advertised pay and job-posting trends across the whole metro economy, rolled up by employer industry — not just the bellwether roles above.
| Sector |
Median Pay Change |
Job Postings Change |
| Construction |
↑ +16.7% |
↑ +58.2% |
| Manufacturing |
↑ +20.0% |
↑ +173.0% |
| Retail Trade |
→ +2.5% |
↑ +99.4% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↑ +5.6% |
↑ +155.2% |
| Information |
↑ +3.8% |
↑ +68.2% |
| Financial Activities |
→ −2.7% |
↑ +105.3% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↑ +15.1% |
↑ +73.1% |
| Education & Health Services |
↑ +7.1% |
↑ +117.1% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
→ −2.7% |
↑ +78.7% |
| Government |
↑ +87.9% |
↑ +1248.7% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Worth watching
Washington's WARN filings were heaviest in September statewide, with Amazon, Gilbert Orchards, and MultiCare among filers; none yet concentrated in Benton-Franklin. Track whether any statewide layoff wave reaches local employer rolls in October filings.
Early indicator
Health care and leisure have carried metro job growth while manufacturing and professional services soften; a reversal in either direction would be the first sign the metro's buffer against state trends is eroding.
Emerging pressure point
Real wages are declining both nationally (3.0% wage growth vs 3.4% inflation) and statewide, a dynamic that compresses discretionary spending even in metros with stable job counts. Watch retail and leisure receipts locally for early softening.
Potential inflection point
Washington's minimum wage rose to $17.13/hour in January and remains the nation's highest; any further state legislative action on wage floors would land disproportionately on the metro's sizable retail, administrative-support, and leisure sectors.
Sources & Methodology
Pay and hiring data provided by WageScape. See every source cited in this report, with links →
Advertised pay reflects the pay ranges employers publish in active job postings in this metro, not survey or payroll data. Pay trends compare the current period with the prior period for the same metro and role. Sector figures group postings by the employer's industry classification; sectors with limited classified postings are marked as such rather than estimated. This briefing is independent of, and complements, official statistics from the BLS and state labor market information offices.
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