INDICATORS

INCOME

•1.1.1 Per Capita Personal Income •1.1.2 Median Household Income •1.1.3 Income Distribution •1.1.4 Overall Average Annual Wage •1.1.5 Average Annual Wage in Top-5 Sectors •1.1.6 Self-Sufficiency Wage

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

LABOR FORCE

TOURISM & CULTURE

REAL ESTATE

POVERTY

ECONOMIC VITALITY

Chart More InformationDownload Data

Clicking on a legend item will show/hide corresponding data series.

Chart created using Highcharts.com

1.1.5 Average Annual Wage in the 5 Largest Employing Sectors

Why is this important?

Average annual wage by sector gives insight into the health of Walla Walla County's economy. Wages and salaries form the largest component of personal income, one of the two fundamental measures of the size of a state economy. Economists typically tie private-sector wage growth to labor productivity growth.

Wages vary by many factors, including the education or training required of the job, the supply of job-seekers, regional demand for certain skills, experience of the job seeker, as well as the pull of other, not-too-distant labor markets. Wage variation by sector may guide job-seekers or students in their choice of educational specialization. It may also inform providers of education and workforce training about their program design and offerings. See Indicator 2.7 for employment shares in these sectors.

This indicator measures the average annual wage in the five largest employing sectors in Walla Walla County, as ranked by the number of employees. Washington State is offered as a benchmark. Additional information, including a further breakdown of the average annual wage in 20 different sectors, can be found in the "Download Data" section.

Where are we?

During 2023 in Walla Walla County, the average annual wage in:

Manufacturing was $65,291, increasing from $35,755, or by 82.6%, since 2004.
Government was $65,999, increasing from $39,485, or by 67.1%, since 2004.
Health Care and Social Assistance was $58,269, increasing from $30,788, or by 92.5%, since 2004.
Agriculture was $36,260, increasing from $17,774, or by 104.0%, since 2004.
Retail Trade was $35,219, increasing from $21,158, or by 66.5%, since 2004.

By comparison in Washington State during 2023, the average annual wage in:

Manufacturing was $93,291, increasing from $51,788, or by 80.1% since 2004.
Government was $81,780, increasing from $41,756, or by 95.9% since 2004.
Health Care and Social Assistance was $66,272, increasing from $34,919, or by 89.8% since 2004.
Agriculture was $40,664 increasing from $20,495, or by 98.4% since 2004.
Retail Trade was $46,746, increasing from $26,602, or by 75.7% since 2004.

Data Sources

Washington State Employment Security Department: Labor Market Report Library - Covered Employment, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)

Under the heading titled “Covered Employment (QCEW)”, select the “Annual Average” for the desired year which will prompt an Excel spreadsheet to download.
In the Excel file, select the desired location.
See: Totals for top employment sectors under “Average Annual Wage (Column S).

Note: This series does not include the earnings of the self-employed, the military, students living on campus or that are employed on campus, and Native Americans working on reservations.

The data visualization on this webpage may not be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. However, the source data will download in a file by clicking on the "Download Data" link above. If you would like assistance downloading the file or be provided a copy of the information on this webpage, please contact us at dpjones@ewu.edu.