Bellingham minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Bellingham is $19.13 an hour in 2026, $2.00 above the Washington rate of $17.13. Bellingham's rate is tied to the state: it is always $2.00 above the Washington State minimum wage, resetting each January 1. It covers every hour worked inside city limits, with no exemption for small employers.
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At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $19.13 an hour, since January 1, 202613 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next rate has not been announced yet. |
| Tipped employees | $19.13, the full minimum wage before tips1 |
| Full-time pay | $765 a week, $39,790 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Bellingham, (360) 778-8000 |
What to know about the Bellingham minimum wage
Bellingham does not run its own inflation formula. Initiative No. 2023-01, approved by voters in November 2023 and codified as Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 6.07, sets the city wage at $2.00 above the Washington State minimum wage effective each January 1.1 With the state at $17.13 in 2026, the city rate is $19.13 from January 1, 2026.23 Whatever the state adopts, the $2.00 gap carries over automatically.
The rule is simple in scope: every hour an employee works inside city limits, for an employer of any size. Two questions are left open. The initiative is silent on minors and on employers based outside the city, and the city says only a reviewing court can give a definitive answer on either.1
Enforcement is the weak point. The city can issue civil infractions, with fines of up to $500 per underpaid employee per pay period for a first offense, rising to $750 and then $1,000 for repeat offenses. But it says it lacks the resources to investigate complaints, and it directs workers to the Washington Department of Labor and Industries or a private attorney. There is no requirement to post the city rate at work.1
For 2027, the state has announced a rate of $17.73 from January 1, 2027.2 Applying the city's $2.00 rule would give $19.73 from that date, a calculation rather than a city announcement.
Compared with Washington
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Bellingham, that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | Due January 1, 2027, amount not announced | $19.13 |
| Washington (state) | $17.73 on January 1, 2027 | $17.13 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Not allowed: tips are on top of the full minimum wage |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $19.13 an hour1 |
Tips cannot count toward the Bellingham rate; tipped workers are owed the full hourly minimum before tips.
How the rate changes
Each January 1 the rate becomes $2.00 above the Washington State minimum wage, under Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 6.07. The city posts the new figure within about two weeks after the Washington Department of Labor and Industries publishes the state rate.
Rate history
Who is covered
All hours worked by employees within Bellingham city limits, whatever the employer's size. The city says only a court can settle how the law applies to employers based outside Bellingham and to minors, since the initiative does not address them.
Other local rates in Washington
- Burien$21.78
- Tukwila$21.65
- Renton$21.57
- Seattle$21.30
- King County (unincorporated areas)$20.82
- Everett$20.77
- SeaTac (hospitality and transportation only)$20.74
Everywhere else in Washington, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of Bellingham |
|---|---|
| Phone | (360) 778-8000 |
| The law | Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 6.07, Minimum Wage for Employees (Initiative No. 2023-01) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Bellingham, City Minimum Wage (page updated 2026-01-01) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2
- 3 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Local minimum wage rates Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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