Firefighter · Bellingham, WA
Firefighter in Bellingham: $3,050/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Bellingham at $101,130 a year. About 320 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.56). The 10th percentile is $61,690 and the 90th is $117,990. Pay ranks 4th-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.7× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,471/mo). Washington has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,050 a month after tax and rent. Within 250 miles, Walla Walla is the strongest other metro for this job ($2,975 left over a month), and Bellingham still leaves more.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,050
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$101,130
$61,690 to $117,990
Rent (1 bd)
$1,471
$1,751 (2 bd)
Employment
320
Location quotient 1.56
Pay rank
4th of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.7×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $101,130.
- Taxes$1,800
- Rent$1,471
- Other living costs$2,107
- Left over$3,050
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $101,130
- Federal income tax
- −$13,863
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,736
- State income tax (WA)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $79,531
- Effective tax rate
- 21.4%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,471
- Groceries
- $430
- Getting around
- $550
- Healthcare
- $483
- Utilities and internet
- $269
- Everything else
- $376
- Total spending
- $3,578
Left over each month
$8,428 gross, minus $1,800 in tax and $3,578 in living costs.
$3,050
Rank every metro for a firefighter
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Walla Walla, $2,975/mo.
Firefighter leftover by city →Best cities for firefighters to move to →Firefighter nearby
Other jobs in Bellingham
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a firefighter make in Bellingham?
$101,130 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 320 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Bellingham?
$3,050 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Washington has no state income tax Rent is $1,471, and pay covers 5.7× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Bellingham leaves more than the other metros within 250 miles. The next one is Walla Walla at $2,975 a month.