Accountant salary in Bellingham, WA
Bellingham pays accountants less than Washington as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $85,450 a year1: 11.5% below the Washington statewide median of $96,550 and 2.1% above the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#57 of 521). BLS counts about 870 people in this job here, 3% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Bellingham, WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bellingham against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | $60,880 | $85,450 | $136,830 | |
| Washington | $66,330 | $96,550 | $152,310 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Bellingham earns $73,720–$105,060. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $136,830, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($93,020) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $31,340 wide, against $43,300 across Washington and $42,790 nationally: employers in Bellingham pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,880 | $5,073 | $29.27 | $78,555 |
| 25th percentile | $73,720 | $6,143 | $35.44 | $95,123 |
| Median | $85,450 | $7,121 | $41.08 | $110,258 |
| 75th percentile | $105,060 | $8,755 | $50.51 | $135,561 |
| 90th percentile | $136,830 | $11,402 | $65.78 | $176,555 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $19,610 over the median, the 25th only $11,730 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $25,303 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Bellingham, and the Washington statewide median of $96,550 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Bellingham
At the $85,450 median, a local hire costs about $110,258 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $24,808 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Bellingham
Of the 16 roles we track in Bellingham, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($103,400); recruiters come next at $78,160.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.0% | 660 | |
| Accountant | this role | 870 | |
| Recruiter | -8.5% | 430 | |
| Executive Assistant | -10.0% | 240 | |
| Office Manager | -10.4% | 920 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #12 of the 16 roles we track in Bellingham (+2.1%), between sales development representatives (+2.7%) and paralegals (+1.7%). The typical role here is at +4.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 10.3% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Bellingham, 10.2% across Washington and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $82,380 in Yakima to $99,370 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $16,990 a year. All 5 areas in Washington with more accountants than Bellingham also pay more, among them Seattle-Tacoma, WA ($99,370) and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($86,350).
| Area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla, WA | +4.9% | 170 | |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +3.3% | 580 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +2.7% | 410 | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | +1.1% | 2,340 | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 870 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | -1.4% | 860 | |
| Yakima, WA | -3.6% | 600 |
Bellingham against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bellingham is #216 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Washington, Atlanta-Sandy Springs and Philadelphia-Camden pay just above Bellingham and Baltimore-Columbia and Durham-Chapel Hill just below. All four are within $540 a year of the median in Bellingham. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | +0.6% | 29,370 | pay | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | +0.4% | 30,150 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 870 | ||
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | -0.3% | 13,550 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.4% | 3,060 | pay | |
| Visalia, CA | -7.1% | 870 | jobs | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -10.6% | 860 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | -12.8% | 860 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Bellingham, WA?
About $110,258 a year at the median, or $9,188 a month: $85,450 in pay plus about $24,808 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Bellingham?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $85,450 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $60,880, the 90th $136,830, and the middle half earned $73,720 to $105,060.
Is Bellingham cheaper than the rest of Washington for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $85,450 against $96,550 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Spokane-Spokane Valley at $86,350, the next down the Eastern Washington nonmetro area at $84,290.
How many accountants work in Bellingham?
BLS counts about 870 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Washington total of 34,740. 5 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is Kennewick-Richland, with about 1,020.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Bellingham?
Yes: $7,290 a year more at the median. The medians are $85,450 and $78,160.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.