Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · September 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA MSA — September 2026
Kennewick holds steady while Washington's job growth stalls statewide.
Benton-Franklin unemployment held at 4.2% even as Washington shed roughly 14,500 jobs in September and ranked 44th nationally in job growth, with local health care and manufacturing pay gains diverging sharply from falling software and data-engineering pay.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of September 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 4.2% — vs 4.5% statewide, 4.2% national
- Washington September job change: -14,500 jobs — State ranked 44th in job growth nationally
- Statewide real wage change: -0.5% — 3.1% wage growth vs 3.5% inflation
- Benton County average weekly wage: $1,480 — Q1 2026, vs $1,998 statewide average
Key takeaways
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.
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.
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.
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.
Median advertised pay by role — Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, WA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $35,880 | $39,416 | $41,309 | Moderate increase | $33,325 |
| Retail Cashier | $33,280 | $37,440 | $37,440 | Stable | $31,200 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $35,411 | $39,520 | $41,600 | Stable | $38,000 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $60,869 | $80,147 | $88,114 | Moderate decline | $78,000 |
| Delivery Driver | $34,195 | $36,942 | $39,520 | Significant decline | $34,344 |
| Construction Laborer | $39,416 | $39,603 | $45,760 | Significant decline | $40,560 |
| Electrician | $76,960 | $92,560 | $102,960 | Significant decline | $71,404 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $37,200 | $43,680 | $44,720 | Significant increase | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $37,675 | $41,600 | $45,090 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $32,604 | $33,882 | $35,289 | Moderate decline | $33,756 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $39,763 | $44,200 | $48,558 | Moderate decline | $41,106 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $38,493 | $46,209 | $53,080 | Moderate decline | $43,680 |
| HVAC Technician | $53,643 | $70,720 | $71,342 | Significant decline | $70,720 |
| Registered Nurse | $95,996 | $115,185 | $122,720 | Moderate increase | $102,581 |
| Software Engineer | $125,749 | $145,754 | $159,082 | Significant decline | $153,652 |
| Data Engineer | $91,135 | $95,061 | $142,100 | Significant decline | $139,500 |
| Accountant | $70,498 | $86,092 | $93,272 | Moderate decline | $72,182 |
| Financial Analyst | $82,570 | $98,684 | $105,362 | Moderate increase | $94,782 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $65,421 | $77,792 | $83,907 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Marketing Specialist * | $45,742 | $62,389 | $74,241 | Stable | $62,354 |
| Operations Manager * | $79,389 | $100,489 | $105,250 | Significant decline | $85,216 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $37,199 | $61,425 | $71,301 | Significant increase | $56,731 |
| Account Manager | $57,500 | $87,354 | $90,000 | Significant increase | $92,749 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $51,506 | $75,000 | $80,000 | Significant increase | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst * | $84,257 | $102,200 | $112,400 | Moderate increase | $98,279 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $72,800 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Manufacturing | $60,000 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $41,333 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $66,524 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Information | $68,246 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $57,876 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Professional & Business Services | $96,931 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $96,096 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $37,440 | Stable | Significant increase |
| Government | $74,152 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
Local market 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.
What it means
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.
Looking ahead
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.
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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