Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Bellingham, WA is $106,590/year ($51.24/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $132K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.33), that's roughly $103,155 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,794/month, or 25.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $107K actually covers in Bellingham, month by month
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 surveyors
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 surveyors, local pay runs about 41% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,794/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.8% 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 surveyors in metros near Bellingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $86K | $77K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $99K | $94K |
| Boise City | $75K | $76K |
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 surveyors (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $107K. Top earners bring in $132K or more, a $67K spread from bottom to top.
Surveyors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surveyors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105K | +40% | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $100K | +32% | 250 |
| Oregon | $97K | +29% | 530 |
| Massachusetts | $95K | +25% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $86K | +13% | 780 |
| Montana | $85K | +12% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $84K | +11% | 980 |
| Maine | $83K | +10% | 270 |
| Delaware | $83K | +10% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +9% | 490 |
| Hawaii | $82K | +9% | 140 |
| Wyoming | $81K | +8% | 240 |
| Indiana | $81K | +7% | 870 |
| Wisconsin | $80K | +6% | 610 |
| North Dakota | $79K | +5% | 250 |
| Colorado | $79K | +5% | 1,620 |
| New York | $79K | +5% | 1,470 |
| Arizona | $77K | +3% | 1,360 |
| South Dakota | $77K | +2% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +2% | 900 |
| Iowa | $77K | +2% | 450 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +2% | 430 |
| Vermont | $76K | +1% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $76K | +1% | 920 |
| North Carolina | $76K | +1% | 1,530 |
| Illinois | $76K | +1% | 1,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +1% | 1,610 |
| Kansas | $76K | +1% | 350 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -2% | 290 |
| Idaho | $74K | -2% | 250 |
| Utah | $73K | -3% | 650 |
| Michigan | $72K | -4% | 1,050 |
| Kentucky | $72K | -5% | 670 |
| Virginia | $71K | -6% | 1,360 |
| Ohio | $71K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $68K | -10% | 430 |
| Alabama | $67K | -11% | 910 |
| Florida | $65K | -13% | 4,000 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -14% | 280 |
| Maryland | $65K | -14% | 950 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -16% | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -16% | 1,460 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -17% | 150 |
| Missouri | $62K | -18% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -18% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -19% | 960 |
| Texas | $61K | -19% | 6,410 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -22% | 570 |
| Georgia | $58K | -23% | 1,770 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -31% | 550 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surveyors salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Bellingham numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bellingham?
Yes — at the median salary of $107K, rent takes 25.8% 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 surveyors in Bellingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,528/month. At HUD’s $1,794/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surveyor a high-paying job in Bellingham?
Local pay is 41% above the national median — $107K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does Bellingham compare to the national average for surveyors?
Bellingham pays $107K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $103K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Bellingham, WA?
The median is $106,590 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,310, and experienced surveyors can clear $132,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $107K enough to live in Bellingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,948/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,794/month, which eats 25.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a surveyors 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 surveyors salary is worth about $103,155 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surveyors 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.