BELLINGHAM, Wash. — New data shows Whatcom County wages are on the rise.
According to a report released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, local wages in 2018 made a jump of more than $1000 annually from last year with an average hourly wage exceeding $23 an hour, or about $50,000 a year.
The data shows the highest paid occupations in the county are in management, architecture, and engineering while those in food service, personal care and maintenance are on the low end.
Wages in Whatcom County are about 6% lower than the national average and more than 20% lower than wages in the rest of the state.