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The average Tri-City teacher took home a little more than $94,300 in base salary and almost $99,600 in total salary during the 2025-2026 school year.

That’s according to a calculation by the Tri-City Herald using the salary data of nearly 3,400 local teachers - including certificated educators, contractors and substitutes.

It’s an increase of 11% over the last two years as position turnover slows, work forces gain more experience and as hiring stiffens from years of tight budgeting.

The data is from educators who taught in schools throughout the Tri-Cities region, including Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, North Franklin, Prosser, Finley, Kiona-Benton City, Paterson, Paterson, Burbank and for the Educational Service District 123.

It was provided by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Education (OSPI), and salaries totals do not include benefits packages.

Here are the average base teacher salaries, broken down by school district in the Tri-City region:

• Richland: $99,900
• Kennewick: $95,800
• Finley: $95,600
• North Franklin: $95,500
• Tri-City region average: $94,300
• Kiona-Benton City: $93,000
• Columbia (Burbank): $92,300
• Pasco: $90,500
• Prosser: $86,300
• Paterson: $85,200

Washington’s public school teachers are among the highest paid in the nation, though the Evergreen State is also among the top five most expensive states to live in.

The state’s average teacher wage was at about $96,600 during the 2024-25 school year, according to a 2026 ranking by the National Education Association teacher’s union. That’s significantly higher than the nationwide average salary, which was at around $74,500.

But NEA says teachers salaries continue to trail inflation, which widens the gap between the profession and other industries. Nearly all teachers have reported spending their own personal income on classroom supplies, too, with most teachers investing hundreds of dollars to help their students learn.

Some Washington teachers’ total salaries are thousands of dollars higher than their listed base salary because they are paid extra for coaching contracts, additional certifications or to lead a department. That often includes duties outside the traditional 180 school days they’re contractually obligated to work.

Pay scales and salaries are mostly negotiated between teacher unions and the individual school district. Overall, base salaries vary depending on a teacher’s level of college education and their years of teaching experience.

Finley, Ki-Be continue to lead in average certificated experience

The Herald’s calculation also found that the region’s average teacher had about 14 years of certificated experience. Classrooms in rural communities like Finley and Benton City, on average, continue to have the most experienced teachers.

Here are the average number of years of certificated experience in each school district:

• 16 years: Finley, Kiona-Benton City
• 15 years: North Franklin
• 14 years: Tri-City region average, Kennewick, Paterson, Prosser, Richland
• 13 years: Columbia, Pasco

Tri-City floors and ceilings

Richland is still the district to beat when it comes to pay for teachers with the most experience. These are educators with dozens of years of certificated experience and advanced degrees.

Educators in the Atomic City top out at about $117,800 in base salary pay. That’s a bit higher than what Pasco and Kennewick pay at $113,300 and $112,700, respectively.

Prosser leads rural school districts with its highest base pay at about $114,500, and Finley is close behind at about $114,200.

Columbia is at $113,600, while Ki-Be is at $112,900 and North Franklin $111,200.

Paterson School District, which serves students between kindergarten and 8th grade, pays at about $95,500.

During the 2025-26 school year, newly certificated teachers fresh out of college with a bachelor’s degree earned $65,290 in Richland, $63,700 in Pasco and $63,300 in Kennewick, according to their salary schedules.