Who earns the highest salaries in Tri-Cities? Who makes the least?
Tri-Citians with jobs earn an average of about $73,500 a year, according to new figures released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The data offers a detailed look at employment and wage statistics for the Tri-Cities, showing considerable variety in the wages earned by the nearly 130,000 workers who held jobs in May.
Tri-Cities wages were slightly behind the state average of about $78,100, according to the federal statistics.
The BLS figures are not directly comparable to a recent Washington Employment Security Department report, which calculated Washington’s average annual wage at just shy of $100,000 in 2025.
The federal statistics agency says local hourly wages ranged from $17.74 an hour for workers at the 10% percentile of earnings to $61.87 an hour for those near the top at the 90%.
Washington’s minimum wage for 2026 is $17.13 an hour.
$200K+ careers
Five professions pay more than $200,000 a year in the Tri-Cities.
- Chief Executive Officer: Average $293,900, ranging from about $74,400 to about $484,900.
- Physicians: Average $277,000, ranging from about $93,400 to about $414,000.
- Natural Science Managers: Average $214,600, ranging from about $142,400 to about $278,000.
- Dentists: Average $212,300, ranging from about $86,400 to about $391,500.
- Architectural and Engineering Managers: Average $205,500, ranging from about $148,400 to about $238,300.
- It’s not captured in Tri-Cities data because of the sample size, but the state’s top job is cardiologist, with an average annual paycheck of about $562,000.
Lowest paid (annualized)
- Agriculture Graders and Sorters: Average $36,100, ranging from about $34,700 to $37,400.
- Amusement and Recreation Attendants: Average $37,100, ranging from about $34,700 to $41,400.
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, Recreational Safety: Average $37,300, ranging from about $34,700 to $42,700.
- Ushers, Lobby Attendants, Ticket Takers: Average $37,400, ranging from $34,700 to $41,700
- Fast Food Cooks: Average $38,100, ranging from $35,600 to $39,500.
Essential public service
- Firefighters: Average $77,700, ranging from about $37,800 to $98,400.
- Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers: Average $103,400, ranging from $89,000 to $116,100.
- Elementary School Teachers: Average $94,000, ranging from $66,400 to $116,000.
- Middle School Teachers: Average $96,000, ranging from $68,600 to $119,400.
- Secondary School Teachers: Average $100,300, ranging from $80,400 to $128,300.
What can you buy?
Local wages fall well short of local housing costs, pushing ownership out of reach for many workers.
The average Tri-City wage translates to $208,000 in home buying power, according to an affordability calculator at homes.com.
In May, the average sale price for a home in the Tri-Cities was $480,000, according to the Tri-City Association of Realtors.
It takes about $158,500 in annual income to afford an average Tri-Cities home.
Wages are not household income. Household income includes wages earned by all working family members, as well as passive income such as interest and investment earnings and benefits.