Receptionists and Information Clerks Salary
Receptionists and Information Clerks in Bellingham, WA make a median of $43,400 a year, or about $20.86 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.33), that's roughly $42,001 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,794/month, about 57.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K 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 receptionists and information clerks
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What this looks like in Bellingham
Bellingham sits well above the national pay line for receptionists and information clerks, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,794/month, which is 58.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.33) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for receptionists and information clerks in metros near Bellingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $46K | $41K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $42K | $42K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $44K | $43K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $43K | $41K |
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 receptionists and information clerks (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Receptionists and Information Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Receptionists and Information Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $49K | +29% | 2,000 |
| Alaska | $45K | +18% | 1,530 |
| Washington | $45K | +18% | 26,500 |
| California | $44K | +16% | 82,470 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +15% | 18,970 |
| New York | $43K | +13% | 65,010 |
| Rhode Island | $43K | +12% | 4,270 |
| Maine | $42K | +12% | 3,440 |
| Colorado | $42K | +11% | 11,020 |
| New Jersey | $42K | +10% | 42,060 |
| Hawaii | $42K | +9% | 3,510 |
| Wisconsin | $41K | +8% | 25,580 |
| Oregon | $41K | +8% | 13,590 |
| Connecticut | $41K | +7% | 14,980 |
| North Dakota | $40K | +4% | 1,930 |
| Arizona | $39K | +2% | 23,220 |
| Vermont | $38K | +1% | 1,160 |
| South Dakota | $38K | +1% | 5,760 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +0% | 5,320 |
| Maryland | $38K | +0% | 18,390 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -0% | 6,750 |
| Minnesota | $38K | -1% | 11,800 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -1% | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $37K | -1% | 25,230 |
| Illinois | $37K | -2% | 40,370 |
| Montana | $37K | -2% | 1,280 |
| Iowa | $37K | -2% | 4,660 |
| Virginia | $37K | -2% | 23,360 |
| Nevada | $37K | -3% | 10,650 |
| Utah | $37K | -3% | 12,020 |
| Idaho | $37K | -3% | 5,340 |
| Florida | $37K | -3% | 63,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -3% | 37,830 |
| Delaware | $36K | -4% | 2,880 |
| Indiana | $36K | -5% | 17,360 |
| Georgia | $36K | -5% | 26,080 |
| Kansas | $36K | -5% | 7,290 |
| Ohio | $36K | -5% | 30,850 |
| Missouri | $36K | -6% | 18,890 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -7% | 11,280 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -7% | 20,080 |
| Texas | $35K | -7% | 78,330 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -8% | 5,650 |
| Tennessee | $35K | -8% | 11,460 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -8% | 10,870 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -9% | 9,380 |
| Kentucky | $33K | -13% | 9,290 |
| Louisiana | $33K | -14% | 12,820 |
| Alabama | $33K | -14% | 10,460 |
| West Virginia | $32K | -16% | 5,470 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -18% | 6,920 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a receptionists and information clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bellingham?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 58.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,794/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for receptionists and information clerks in Bellingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new receptionists and information clerks typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,175/month. At HUD’s $1,794/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is receptionists and information clerk a high-paying job in Bellingham?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $43K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Bellingham compare to the national average for receptionists and information clerks?
Bellingham pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do receptionists and information clerks make in Bellingham, WA?
The median is $43,400 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,250, and experienced receptionists and information clerks can clear $54,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Bellingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,076/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,794/month, which eats 58.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a receptionists and information clerks 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 receptionists and information clerks salary is worth about $42,001 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do receptionists and information clerks 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.