The national laboratory in the Tri-Cities’ backyard supported $1.46 billion in economic output, and 7,180 jobs in the state last year.

A 36-page report analyzing the economic impact of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the state was released in August. The sixth annual report covers fiscal year 2018.

The state gained $225 million in output, 1,633 jobs and $102 million in income through closely related economic activities such as visitor spending, health care spending, spending by resident retirees and through companies with PNNL roots, the report said.

PNNL has a total payroll of $465 million, of which $432 million went to staff employed in Washington, the report said.

Of PNNL’s 4,414 staff, 93 percent live in Washington. Most work at PNNL’s Richland campus and live in Benton and Franklin counties, but a few also work at the Marine Sciences Laboratory in Sequim and at offices near Lake Union in Seattle. PNNL employment has grown 25 percent since 2000.

The average annual wage for all Washington state PNNL employees at the end of fiscal year 2018 was $105,533.

PNNL made procurements of goods and services worth $331 million. Of the total, $88.9 million were made from Washington firms.

Construction and renovation projects led to $20.9 million in in-state spending, much of in the Mid-Columbia, the report said.

Battelle, as operators of PNNL, and its staff at PNNL paid about $25.6 million in local and state taxes, which include sales and use taxes and property taxes.

Health insurance expenditures for PNNL’s 4,096 Washington-based employees, 2,101 retirees and their households in the state totaled an estimated $68 million.

Pensions and Social Security payments to retirees living in Washington totaled $132 million, of which about $99 million was estimated to be spent in Washington on goods and services. 

About 5,469 out-of-town visitors to the lab spent about $3.6 million at area hotels, restaurants and businesses.

Eighteen companies spun-off and based on PNNL-developed technologies generated $30 million in Washington and employed more than 150 people.

Battelle contributed $548,000 to philanthropic and civic organizations (education, health and human services, arts), including $273,000 to STEM education.

Licensing revenues totaled $3.6 million, a significant portion of which are reinvested at PNNL.