Marketing Specialist salary in Bellingham, WA
Bellingham is a lower-cost market for marketing specialists: the median of $63,570 a year1 is 33.2% below the Washington statewide median of $95,120, and 19.3% below the US median of $78,760. Nationally it ranks #237 of 516 areas. BLS counts about 470 people in this job here, 2% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, 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 | $41,050 | $63,570 | $120,070 | |
| Washington | $52,000 | $95,120 | $174,040 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Bellingham earns $52,150–$79,830. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $120,070, only 2.9 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($73,800) is 16% 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 $27,680 wide, against $71,970 across Washington and $49,960 nationally: employers in Bellingham pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,050 | $3,421 | $19.74 | $52,968 |
| 25th percentile | $52,150 | $4,346 | $25.07 | $67,290 |
| Median | $63,570 | $5,298 | $30.56 | $82,026 |
| 75th percentile | $79,830 | $6,652 | $38.38 | $103,006 |
| 90th percentile | $120,070 | $10,006 | $57.73 | $154,929 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $11,420 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $16,260, or about $20,981 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 $78,760 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Bellingham, and the Washington statewide median of $95,120 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles.
What a hire really costs in Bellingham
At the $63,570 median, a local hire costs about $82,026 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,456 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 marketing specialists 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 #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($63,950) and bookkeepers ($57,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,400.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +2.2% | 140 | |
| Paralegal | +0.6% | 180 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 470 | |
| Bookkeeper | -10.3% | 1,140 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -12.4% | 230 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 16 roles we track in Bellingham (-19.3%); medical administrative assistants come first (+21.2%). The typical role here is at +4.7%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Bellingham than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 5.6% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Bellingham, 7.2% across Washington and 5.7% 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 $62,310 in the Western Washington nonmetro area to $102,170 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $39,860 a year. All 3 areas in Washington with more marketing specialists than Bellingham also pay more, among them Seattle-Tacoma, WA ($102,170) and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($70,390).
| Area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | +10.7% | 1,200 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +8.8% | 160 | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +8.1% | 200 | |
| Yakima, WA | +2.1% | 240 | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 470 | |
| Walla Walla, WA | -0.7% | 60 | |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | -2.0% | 440 |
Bellingham against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bellingham is #181 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Washington, Cheyenne and Bangor pay just above Bellingham and Las Cruces and Punta Gorda just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Bellingham. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA-AL | +7.1% | 470 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | +0.3% | 460 | jobs | |
| Bangor, ME | +0.0% | 210 | pay | |
| Cheyenne, WY | +0.0% | 130 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 470 | ||
| Las Cruces, NM | -0.2% | 140 | pay | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | -0.2% | 190 | pay | |
| Eau Claire, WI | -2.5% | 460 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Bellingham, WA?
About $82,026 a year at the median, or $6,835 a month: $63,570 in pay plus about $18,456 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Bellingham?
The median was $63,570 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $41,050, the 90th $120,070, and the middle half earned $52,150 to $79,830.
Is Bellingham cheaper than the rest of Washington for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $63,570 against $95,120 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Yakima at $64,900, the next down Walla Walla at $63,120.
How many marketing specialists work in Bellingham?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Washington total of 24,460. 3 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is Olympia-Lacey, with about 620.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Bellingham?
Yes: $6,570 a year more at the median. The medians are $63,570 and $57,000.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.