Cost of hiring in Kennewick-Richland, WA
BLS counts about 11,040 people in these 16 roles in Kennewick-Richland1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($125,940 a year), Data Entry Specialist the lowest ($41,980), and Administrative Assistant is the largest job, with about 1,450 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Kennewick-Richland
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +23.1% | 1,260 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +14.5% | 1,080 | |
| Bookkeeper | +13.1% | 1,070 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +11.8% | 1,450 | |
| Accountant | +11.5% | 1,020 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +10.6% | 350 | |
| Office Manager | +8.8% | 1,180 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +7.2% | 110 | |
| Recruiter | +7.0% | 620 | |
| HR Assistant | +5.9% | 90 | |
| Executive Assistant | +4.6% | 340 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +1.5% | 50 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +1.4% | 1,290 | |
| Paralegal | -0.6% | 270 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.8% | 370 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.6% | 490 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $53,140 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $68,568 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Kennewick-Richland against the US
Kennewick-Richland pays above the US median for 13 of the 16 roles, most of all for project coordinators (+23.1%) and virtual receptionists (+14.5%), and below it for 2, furthest for sales development representatives (-6.6%). For paralegals it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 16 is +7.1%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for project coordinators, #8 of 518 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #109 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Kennewick-Richland has more virtual receptionists (9.8% of these jobs here, against 5.8% nationally) and project coordinators (11.4% against 6.8%), and fewer medical administrative assistants (3.2% against 6.1%) and sales development representatives (4.4% against 8.0%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Hartford-West Hartford, CT is nearest, at +7.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +8.0% | 17 | 27,360 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +7.3% | 15 | 6,080 |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +7.1% | 17 | 63,230 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +7.1% (this area) | 16 | 11,040 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +7.1% | 17 | 25,810 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +6.3% | 17 | 9,830 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Kennewick-Richland span $42,040–$119,340, the widest band (2.8×); virtual receptionists the narrowest, $35,510–$55,110. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 13 of 16 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for data entry specialists, sales development representatives, marketing specialists and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($48,640 against a $41,980 median for data entry specialists).
Kennewick-Richland against Washington
Against Washington as a whole, Kennewick-Richland pays more for 2 of 16 roles, led by project coordinators (+1.4%) and executive assistants (+1.1%), and less for 14, most of all paralegals (-21.3%). It has the lowest median in Washington for payroll specialists, customer support specialists and data entry specialists.
Other areas in Washington
By jobs in these roles, Kennewick-Richland is #4 of 13 areas in Washington. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Seattle-Tacoma to Wenatchee-East Wenatchee.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | 209,690 | 17 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 23,440 | 17 |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | 13,500 | 17 |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | 10,980 | 16 |
| Bellingham, WA | 8,450 | 16 |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | 8,250 | 16 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 7,230 | 15 |
| Yakima, WA | 7,020 | 15 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 4,390 | 15 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 4,040 | 15 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Kennewick-Richland?
Of the 16 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $125,940 a year, about $162,503 with benefits; the lowest is Data Entry Specialist, $41,980.
Is hiring in Kennewick-Richland cheaper than the US median?
For 2 of the 16 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-6.6%). 13 pay more than the US median, led by project coordinators (+23.1%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.