SalaryExplorer

SOC 33-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Firefighters — Kennewick

Kennewick-Richland, WA · 8 metro areas compared

$80,090 /year
$38.50per hour
360jobs in area
+35.1%vs US median

In Kennewick, WA the median wage for Firefighters reaches $80,090 a year.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $59,28010TH$37,75025TH$61,060MEDIAN$80,09090TH$98,360

How pay has moved

$81,858$71,2532019202020212022202320242025$80,090
$73,020 in 2019 to $80,090 in 2025, +9.7% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+3.4%
Openings per year
27,100
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Kennewick-Richland, WA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Kennewick, WA the median wage for Firefighters reaches $80,090 a year. That is 35.1% more than the national median of $59,280. Pay ranges from under $37,750 at the tenth percentile to more than $98,360 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $61,060 to $94,210.

The area has 360 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.26 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Bellingham records the highest median at $101,130. Of the 339 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 126th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Kennewick-Richland, WA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$37,750−36.3%
25th$61,060+3.0%
Median (50th)$80,090+35.1%
75th$94,210+58.9%
90th$98,360+65.9%
Mean$77,650+31.0%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Washington

Median annual wage for Firefighters, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Bellingham$101,130320
2Seattle$101,0903,760
3Bremerton$95,910290
4Olympia$90,050260
5Spokane$83,310750
6Mount Vernon$81,100180
7Longview$78,940—
8Yakima$62,120410

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Kennewick sit close to the national average, so $80,090 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$80,090as reported by BLS

Local price level

100.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$80,010US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $80,090 a year, 35.1% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $37,750 to $98,360 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 360 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Bellingham, at $101,130.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Firefighters in Kennewick, WA?

The median annual wage is $80,090, or $38.50 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $59,280, so pay in Kennewick, WA is 35.1% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Kennewick, WA earns more than $98,360 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $37,750 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Bellingham, at $101,130 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 360 jobs in this occupation in Kennewick, WA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.