Washington's local manufacturing firms offer great diversity in production items. Ranging from kitchen utensils to speed boats, the community's firms provide ample opportunity for employment. Rapidly moving toward twentieth century technology, Main St. in Washington has been renamed Silicon Alley by many local residents.

Agriculture also takes its place in the community economy with forest products and crops such as corn, soy beans and cotton.

Some area residents commute to work in nearby Greenville, home of many large manufacturing firms and East Carolina University.