Bookkeeper salary in Bellingham, WA
Bellingham pays bookkeepers less than Washington as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $57,000 a year1: 2.8% below the Washington statewide median of $58,620 and 12.5% above the US median of $50,670. Nationally that is #35 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,140 people in this job here, 3% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, 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 | $44,770 | $57,000 | $74,970 | |
| Washington | $45,070 | $58,620 | $77,630 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Bellingham earns $49,080–$63,910. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $74,970, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,830 wide, against $16,570 across Washington and $17,950 nationally: employers in Bellingham pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,770 | $3,731 | $21.52 | $57,768 |
| 25th percentile | $49,080 | $4,090 | $23.60 | $63,329 |
| Median | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27.40 | $73,548 |
| 75th percentile | $63,910 | $5,326 | $30.73 | $82,465 |
| 90th percentile | $74,970 | $6,248 | $36.04 | $96,735 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,920 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,910, or about $8,916 once benefits are added. 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 $50,670 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Bellingham, and the Washington statewide median of $58,620 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Bellingham
At the $57,000 median, a local hire costs about $73,548 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,548 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 bookkeepers 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 #10 by median pay, between marketing specialists ($63,570) and medical administrative assistants ($55,670). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,400.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +12.2% | 180 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +11.5% | 470 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,140 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.3% | 230 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.6% | 870 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in Bellingham (+12.5%), between administrative assistants (+13.2%) and payroll specialists (+11.6%). The typical role here is at +4.7%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Bellingham than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 13.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Bellingham, 9.6% across Washington and 8.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $51,410 in Walla Walla to $60,460 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $9,050 a year. Of the 4 areas in Washington with more bookkeepers than Bellingham, 2 pay less: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($53,050) and the Eastern Washington nonmetro area ($56,100).
| Area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +2.8% | 780 | |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | +1.9% | 1,710 | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +0.5% | 1,070 | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 1,140 | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | -0.7% | 490 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 1,310 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -2.5% | 1,050 |
Bellingham against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bellingham is #237 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, Portland-Vancouver and Boulder pay just above Bellingham and Sacramento-Roseville and Burlington-South Burlington just below. All four are within $330 a year of the median in Bellingham. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +0.6% | 1,440 | pay | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +0.1% | 12,170 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 1,140 | ||
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -0.3% | 8,680 | pay | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | -0.5% | 1,020 | pay | |
| Spartanburg, SC | -14.9% | 1,150 | jobs | |
| Ocala, FL | -18.6% | 1,130 | jobs | |
| Tallahassee, FL | -19.5% | 1,130 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Bellingham, WA?
About $73,548 a year at the median, or $6,129 a month: $57,000 in pay plus about $16,548 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Bellingham?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $57,000 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $44,770, the 90th $74,970, and the middle half earned $49,080 to $63,910.
Is Bellingham cheaper than the rest of Washington for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $57,000 against $58,620 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Kennewick-Richland at $57,290, the next down Longview-Kelso at $56,620.
How many bookkeepers work in Bellingham?
BLS counts about 1,140 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Washington total of 32,930. 4 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, with about 1,310.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Bellingham?
Yes: $1,330 a year more at the median. The medians are $57,000 and $55,670.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: 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.