Washington energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Washington

As of May 2026, industrial electricity in Washington runs 7.24 cents per kWh. That is 16.9% cheaper than the U.S. average and places the state 13 of 51 nationally.

Current prices in Washington

  • Industrial electricity: 7.24 cents per kWh (May 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Washington typically pays: 11.72 cents per kWh.
  • Industrial natural gas: 10.92 per Mcf (May 2026), 155.7% above the national average.
  • Just below Washington on the price ladder: Kentucky at 7.13, Idaho at 7.21, South Carolina at 7.23 cents. Just above: Mississippi at 7.5, Arizona at 7.54, Nevada at 7.61 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 2,896 in electricity at Washington rates versus 3,484 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 14,480 versus 17,420, and at 200 kW it is 57,920 versus 69,680.
  • For site selection and quoting, Washington sits on the favorable side of the power map. Processes that live or die on electricity cost, from electrolysis to induction heating, price out better here than in most states.

What factory labor pays in Washington

  • Industrial production managers: $69.81/hr median in Washington versus $60.61 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial engineers: $62.04/hr median in Washington versus $49.25 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Tool and die makers: $52.59/hr median in Washington versus $30.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • CNC tool operators: $51.88/hr median in Washington versus $24.37 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Production supervisors: $38.13/hr median in Washington versus $35.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial machinery mechanics: $37.12/hr median in Washington versus $31.02 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Washington employs about 276,000 manufacturing workers as of Jun 2026 (BLS).

Manufacturing base in Washington

  • Washington has 6,586 manufacturing establishments employing about 264,782 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).
  • Largest sectors by establishment count: fabricated metal products (1,058), food manufacturing (885), printing and related support (399), wood product manufacturing (378), machinery manufacturing (364).

Sources and update cadence

  • Prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and refresh automatically when the agency publishes; this page also archives each month's Washington observation so the local price history deepens over time.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.