Whatcom construction workers earn this much more than national average
Bellingham-area construction workers earn 14% more than the national average, making the area one of the best for such workers.
The workers locally earn about $47,580 per year while the national average is about $41,730 per year, according to a new report by business research company Advisor Smith.
Taking into account the cost of living and number of jobs, the report ranked the greater Bellingham area as the 10th-best city for construction workers among midsized cities and 22nd overall.
Construction has been a significant part of Whatcom County for years. The report found that the Bellingham-area supported 1,270 construction jobs.
Mining, logging and construction in Whatcom County accounted for 6,600 jobs in May and 5,600 in April, according to date from the Washington State Employment Security Department.
However, this sector has declined compared to previous years. In May and April 2018, that same sector accounted for 8,700 and 8,800 jobs respectively, according to state data.
The report looked at 383 cities in the United States to determine the top 50 for construction workers, whom it defined as manual laborers on construction job sites. This definition excluded craft or trade workers such as carpenters and electricians.
The researchers divided their findings among small cities with populations less than 150,000, midsized cities or areas with populations between 150,000 and 500,000 and large cities with populations greater than 500,000.
Springfield, Illinois, ranked as the best midsized city and city overall for construction workers with an average salary of $52,520.
For the purposes of this study, researchers included the greater metro area population in its definition of cities. Bellingham itself has a population of about 92,314 while Whatcom County has a population of 229,247, according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
No other Washington city ranked among the top 10 best midsized cities for construction workers. However, Spokane and Seattle ranked third and 10th among large cities, respectively. Spokane ranked 35th overall. Seattle did not make the top 50.
Additionally, Mount Vernon with an average salary of $56,480, and Longview with an average salary of $47,840 ranked second and seventh among small cities. They ranked sixth and 12th overall.
Wenatchee, a small city, did not make any top 10 list but did rank 26th among all cities with an average salary of $43, 880. Likewise, Kennewick, a midsized city with an average salary of $43,740, ranked 31st overall and Bremerton, a midsized city with an average salary of $51,560, ranked 32nd overall.
.jpeg)