Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $102,350
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 560 people (6.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Bellingham
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Bellingham. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $102,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $102,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 420 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $102,860
- Median hourly wage: $49.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 170 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $103,120
- Median hourly wage: $49.58
- Total employment: Not available
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $104,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.00
- Total employment: 160 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $104,350
- Median hourly wage: $50.17
- Total employment: 280 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $104,390
- Median hourly wage: $50.19
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,730
- Median hourly wage: $50.35
- Total employment: 230 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $104,820
- Median hourly wage: $50.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $106,040
- Median hourly wage: $50.98
- Total employment: 70 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 150 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $107,350
- Median hourly wage: $51.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $108,330
- Median hourly wage: $52.08
- Total employment: 70 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $109,990
- Median hourly wage: $52.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $111,140
- Median hourly wage: $53.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $112,130
- Median hourly wage: $53.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $113,770
- Median hourly wage: $54.70
- Total employment: 50 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $115,380
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $119,990
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: 70 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $120,000
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: 1,400 people (15.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $120,030
- Median hourly wage: $57.71
- Total employment: 160 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $120,080
- Median hourly wage: $57.73
- Total employment: 260 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $124,200
- Median hourly wage: $59.71
- Total employment: 220 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $124,440
- Median hourly wage: $59.83
- Total employment: 140 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $126,490
- Median hourly wage: $60.81
- Total employment: 120 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $126,590
- Median hourly wage: $60.86
- Total employment: 150 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $128,140
- Median hourly wage: $61.61
- Total employment: 160 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $129,570
- Median hourly wage: $62.29
- Total employment: 220 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $130,600
- Median hourly wage: $62.79
- Total employment: 630 people (6.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $130,790
- Median hourly wage: $62.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $131,530
- Median hourly wage: $63.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $134,060
- Median hourly wage: $64.45
- Total employment: 90 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $134,530
- Median hourly wage: $64.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $136,850
- Median hourly wage: $65.79
- Total employment: 320 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $145,200
- Median hourly wage: $69.81
- Total employment: 190 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $145,840
- Median hourly wage: $70.12
- Total employment: 70 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $147,200
- Median hourly wage: $70.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $147,830
- Median hourly wage: $71.07
- Total employment: 280 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $148,410
- Median hourly wage: $71.35
- Total employment: 80 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $149,560
- Median hourly wage: $71.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $153,170
- Median hourly wage: $73.64
- Total employment: 190 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $153,590
- Median hourly wage: $73.84
- Total employment: 30 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $157,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 190 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $162,990
- Median hourly wage: $78.36
- Total employment: 80 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $167,680
- Median hourly wage: $80.62
- Total employment: 210 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $179,550
- Median hourly wage: $86.32
- Total employment: 80 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $216,920
- Median hourly wage: $104.29
- Total employment: 190 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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