Average Salaries in Bellingham, WA
Explore salaries across 338 occupations in Bellingham, WA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $70.7K, +14.9% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 338 occupations and 84,690 total jobs in Bellingham, WA.
How the metro compares
Bellingham, 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.
Bellingham, 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 Bellingham, 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Bellingham, WA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $216.9K | 190 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $179.6K | 80 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $167.7K | 210 |
| Dentists, General | $163.0K | 80 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten Through Secondary | $157.7K | 190 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers And Repairers | $153.6K | 30 |
| Pharmacists | $153.2K | 190 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $149.6K | 90 |
| Physician Assistants | $148.4K | 80 |
| Financial Managers | $147.8K | 280 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Bellingham, WA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,820 | $35.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,750 | $36.6K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 2,430 | $45.0K |
| Cashiers | 2,220 | $36.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,670 | $101.6K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,590 | $42.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,460 | $48.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,400 | $120.0K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,380 | $46.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,350 | $40.0K |
What Bellingham, 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 Bellingham, WA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Bellingham, WA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, And Gaugers | 18.79 | $96.9K |
| Septic Tank Servicers And Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 6.31 | $68.5K |
| Bicycle Repairers | 6.30 | $46.2K |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Except Sawing | 5.37 | $51.3K |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Wood | 5.22 | $41.9K |
| Statisticians | 4.94 | $95.3K |
| Machine Feeders And Offbearers | 4.85 | $37.9K |
| Meat, Poultry, And Fish Cutters And Trimmers | 4.29 | $37.2K |
| Cartographers And Photogrammetrists | 4.29 | $90.2K |
| Detectives And Criminal Investigators | 4.02 | $120.1K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Bellingham, 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.