Firefighters Salary
Firefighters in Bellingham, WA make a median of $101,130 a year, or about $48.62 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $118K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.33), that's roughly $97,871 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,794/month, or 26.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $101K get you in Bellingham?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bellingham’s Regional Price Parity (103.33). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About firefighters
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Bellingham
Bellingham sits well above the national pay line for firefighters, local pay runs about 71% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. Rent runs $1,794/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.33) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for firefighters in metros near Bellingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Longview-Kelso | $79K | $81K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $101K | $91K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $83K | $83K |
| Yakima | $62K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bellingham, WA
Entry-level firefighters (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $118K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Firefighters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Firefighters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101K | +70% | 12,950 |
| Washington | $95K | +59% | 7,560 |
| California | $85K | +44% | 31,470 |
| New Jersey | $84K | +42% | 7,500 |
| Illinois | $78K | +32% | 18,400 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +31% | 2,970 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +28% | 1,480 |
| Colorado | $74K | +25% | 6,510 |
| Maryland | $74K | +25% | 5,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | +24% | 5,020 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +23% | 11,940 |
| Oregon | $71K | +20% | 3,790 |
| Rhode Island | $67K | +14% | 1,620 |
| Nevada | $67K | +12% | 2,640 |
| Indiana | $63K | +6% | 8,530 |
| Nebraska | $61K | +3% | 1,070 |
| Texas | $60K | +2% | 28,170 |
| Ohio | $59K | +0% | 18,100 |
| Montana | $59K | +0% | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $59K | +0% | 7,500 |
| Alaska | $59K | -1% | 1,040 |
| Virginia | $59K | -1% | 11,160 |
| Florida | $59K | -1% | 24,570 |
| Wyoming | $58K | -2% | 680 |
| New Hampshire | $57K | -4% | 2,700 |
| Iowa | $56K | -6% | 2,170 |
| North Dakota | $55K | -7% | 820 |
| Michigan | $55K | -8% | 6,610 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -16% | 4,150 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -17% | 7,020 |
| Missouri | $49K | -17% | 6,580 |
| Utah | $48K | -19% | 2,870 |
| Maine | $48K | -19% | 2,480 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -19% | 610 |
| Alabama | $48K | -20% | 7,260 |
| Idaho | $47K | -20% | 2,240 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -21% | 8,120 |
| Delaware | $47K | -21% | 560 |
| Georgia | $47K | -21% | 12,700 |
| Vermont | $46K | -22% | N/A |
| Kansas | $46K | -23% | 3,360 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -28% | 7,780 |
| New Mexico | $42K | -30% | 2,420 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -33% | 2,480 |
| Minnesota | $38K | -36% | 5,810 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -36% | 19,410 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -37% | 900 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -37% | 5,150 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -39% | 2,920 |
| Louisiana | $33K | -44% | 5,230 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track firefighters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Bellingham numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a firefighter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bellingham?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 27.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,794/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for firefighters in Bellingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new firefighters typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,701/month. At HUD’s $1,794/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is firefighter a high-paying job in Bellingham?
Local pay is 71% above the national median — $101K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Bellingham compare to the national average for firefighters?
Bellingham pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +71%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do firefighters make in Bellingham, WA?
The median is $101,130 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,690, and experienced firefighters can clear $117,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Bellingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,628/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,794/month, which eats 27.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a firefighters salary go in Bellingham?
Bellingham has a Regional Price Parity of 103.33 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median firefighters salary is worth about $97,871 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do firefighters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.