Average Salaries in Walla Walla, WA
Explore salaries across 163 occupations in Walla Walla, WA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $71K, +8.0% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 163 occupations and 19,710 total jobs in Walla Walla, WA.
How the metro compares
Walla Walla, WA pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Walla Walla, WA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Walla Walla, WA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Walla Walla, WA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $219.9K | 60 |
| Pharmacists | $165.2K | 60 |
| Physician Assistants | $162K | 30 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $157K | 40 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $152.1K | 30 |
| Sales Managers | $149.2K | 40 |
| Financial Managers | $144.4K | 60 |
| Managers, All Other | $138.2K | 60 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten Through Secondary | $137.7K | 40 |
| Lawyers | $137K | 40 |
Largest occupations in Walla Walla, WA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,160 | $47.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 810 | $117K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 800 | $35K |
| Retail Salespersons | 640 | $36.6K |
| Cashiers | 490 | $35.9K |
| Office Clerks, General | 440 | $48.3K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 430 | $39.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 420 | $39.5K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 370 | $91.2K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 340 | $56.7K |
What Walla Walla, WA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Walla Walla, WA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Walla Walla, WA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrators And Product Promoters | 25.64 | $36.5K |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 14.79 | $51.5K |
| Cutting And Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 5.44 | $45.3K |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.96 | $73.1K |
| Art, Drama, And Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.63 | $76.1K |
| Information And Record Clerks, All Other | 3.76 | $52.4K |
| Civil Engineers | 3.18 | $123K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 3.02 | $35.7K |
| Cement Masons And Concrete Finishers | 2.94 | $62.2K |
| Coaches And Scouts | 2.74 | $48.6K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Walla Walla, WA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.