Current Minimum Wage
Bellingham$19.13since January 1, 2026

City · Washington

Bellingham minimum wage

$19.13 an hour as of September 2, 2026. The Washington state rate is $17.13.

  • The Bellingham minimum wage is $19.13 an hour, effective .
  • That is $2.00 above the Washington state rate of $17.13 and $11.88 above the federal $7.25.
  • The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
  • Coverage: All employees working in Bellingham city limits.

Rates and tiers

TierRateSince
all employers$19.13

Indexing

Yes
WA state minimum wage (CPI-W indexed by L&I) plus $2.00 adjusts 01-01 announced WA L&I (state rate) by Sept 30

Tipped

Same as minimum
No tip credit: Washington law (RCW 49.46.020(3), restated on the L&I page) bars counting tips or service charges toward the minimum wage; local ordinances repeat this.

Ordinance

Bellingham Municipal Code ch. 6.07 (Initiative No. 2023-01, approved Nov 2023; +$1 from 2024-05-01, +$2 from 2025-05-01)
Ordinance text · City of Bellingham (complaints via WA L&I)

Scheduled increases

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CityTBA
Bellingham, WAall employers · statute · Set at $2.00 above the WA state minimum wage, so it moves with L&I's Sept 30 CPI-W announcement.
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

$19.13 = $17.13 state + $2.00. Corroborated by L&I.

Common questions

What is the Bellingham minimum wage?

$19.13 an hour for all employers, effective January 1, 2026.

Is the Bellingham minimum wage higher than the Washington state minimum wage?

Yes, by $2.00: $19.13 versus $17.13.

When does the Bellingham minimum wage change next?

On January 1, 2027, by an indexed amount to be announced.

Sources

  1. https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/local-minimum-wage-rates official
  2. https://cob.org/services/business/city-minimum-wage
  3. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/

Checked 2026-09-02; researcher confidence 0.93.