Office Manager salary in Bellingham, WA
Bellingham pays office managers less than Washington as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $76,530 a year1: 3.7% below the Washington statewide median of $79,480 and 10.1% above the US median of $69,500. Only 22 of 519 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 920 people in this job here, 3% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, 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 | $52,360 | $76,530 | $105,960 | |
| Washington | $56,900 | $79,480 | $120,710 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
The middle half of office managers in Bellingham earns $61,810–$92,480. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $105,960, only 2.0 times the bottom tenth, against 2.3 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $30,670 wide, between the figure for Washington ($31,410) and the US figure ($29,140).
What to budget for an office manager here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $52,360 | $4,363 | $25.17 | $67,561 |
| 25th percentile | $61,810 | $5,151 | $29.72 | $79,755 |
| Median | $76,530 | $6,378 | $36.79 | $98,748 |
| 75th percentile | $92,480 | $7,707 | $44.46 | $119,329 |
| 90th percentile | $105,960 | $8,830 | $50.94 | $136,723 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $15,950 a year in pay and about $20,581 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,720 in pay. 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 $69,500 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Bellingham, and the Washington statewide median of $79,480 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Bellingham
At the $76,530 median, a local hire costs about $98,748 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,218 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 office managers 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 #5 by median pay, between executive assistants ($76,870) and sales development representatives ($71,900). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,400.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +2.1% | 430 | |
| Executive Assistant | +0.4% | 240 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 920 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.0% | 400 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -15.1% | 140 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #6 of the 16 roles we track in Bellingham (+10.1%), between payroll specialists (+11.6%) and e-commerce order specialists (+5.0%). The typical role here is at +4.7%, so, measured against the US, office managers cost more in Bellingham than the area's general pay level would suggest. Office managers hold 10.9% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Bellingham, 9.3% across Washington and 9.1% 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 $72,300 in Spokane-Spokane Valley to $81,980 in Longview-Kelso, a gap of $9,680 a year. Of the 6 areas in Washington with more office managers than Bellingham, 4 pay less, the largest of them Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($72,300), the Western Washington nonmetro area ($75,380) and Kennewick-Richland, WA ($75,640).
| Area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +6.7% | 18,020 | |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +3.9% | 740 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +2.3% | 1,210 | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 920 | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.4% | 490 | |
| Walla Walla, WA | -1.0% | 230 | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -1.2% | 1,180 |
Bellingham against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bellingham is #260 of 517 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Washington, Sacramento-Roseville and Kenosha pay just above Bellingham and Washington-Arlington and Portland-Vancouver just below. All four are within $860 a year of the median in Bellingham. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bellingham | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | +1.1% | 570 | pay | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +1.1% | 9,190 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | this area | 920 | ||
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | -0.2% | 23,390 | pay | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | -0.2% | 7,740 | pay | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -14.3% | 920 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | -15.6% | 920 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | -19.4% | 930 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in Bellingham, WA?
About $98,748 a year at the median, or $8,229 a month: $76,530 in pay plus about $22,218 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do office managers earn in Bellingham?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $76,530 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $52,360, the 90th $105,960, and the middle half earned $61,810 to $92,480.
Is Bellingham cheaper than the rest of Washington for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $76,530 against $79,480 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Olympia-Lacey at $78,270, the next down Mount Vernon-Anacortes at $76,200.
How many office managers work in Bellingham?
BLS counts about 920 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Washington total of 31,790. 6 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, with about 930.
Does an office manager cost more than a sales development representative in Bellingham?
Yes: $4,630 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,530 and $71,900.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-1011: 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.