Hiring now! These job openings in Whatcom pay a living wage and have minimal requirements
Finding a job with minimal requirements that pays enough for you and your family to live off of can be difficult. When you factor in the costs of housing, utilities, local grocery prices and other necessities, jobs that pay a low wage cannot cover basic living expenses.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology calculated the living wage by county by evaluating typical expenses to find how much an individual must make hourly to support themselves, or multiple children or dependents in a full-time job.
MIT records living wages for individuals, couples and families that vary based on the number of dependents, number of children and the number of adults who are working. The living wages have also increased compared to last month’s calculations, according to previous reporting in The Bellingham Herald:
▪ Whatcom County’s living wage for an individual with no dependents is $17.47 per hour, working full time.
▪ For a household with two adults, no children, and only one individual working, a living wage in Whatcom County is $27.62 per hour.
▪ For a household with two adults, no children and both adults working, the living wage is $13.81 per hour.
▪ For a household with two adults, one child, and only one adult working, the living wage is $34.53 per hour. If this household had two children the living wage would be $39.51 an hour.
▪ For a household with two adults and two children and both adults working, the living wage is $25.98 per hour. If the family had three children, both individuals would need to make $32.10 per hour.
As Washington state’s minimum wage is $15.74 per hour, this amount is not considered a living wage in Whatcom County unless you have multiple adults working in a household with no dependents.
The Bellingham Herald has searched the job website Indeed and local Craiglist listings to find positions with minimal requirements that are available as of Tuesday, March 14 that advertise wages at or above living wages:
Mail carrier for United States Postal Service
▪ Multiple cities in Whatcom County.
▪ Full-time or part-time.
▪ $19 - $33 per hour with benefits available.
▪ No requirements listed.
Brewer at Aslan Brewing Company
▪ Bellingham, WA.
▪ Full-time.
▪ Starting salary of $45,000 - $52,000, about $22 to $25 per hour.
▪ Requirements: must be at least 21 years old, have a dedication to detail and quality and ability to lift and move heavy materials.
Operations specialist at Bellingham Food Bank
▪ Bellingham, WA.
▪ Full-time.
▪ $25 per hour.
▪ Requirements: Washington state driver’s license, ability to speak Spanish or Russian fluently, ability to lift 50 pounds and basic computer literacy.
▪ Bellingham, WA.
▪ Full-time.
▪ $17-$19 per hour depending on experience.
▪ No requirements listed.
General laborer at Great Western Lumber Company
▪ Everson, WA.
▪ Full-time.
▪ $21.75 per hour.
▪ Requirements: must be at least 18 years old with ability to lift 75 pounds and work up to 10 hour-shifts.
▪ Lynden, WA.
▪ Full-time.
▪ $24-$26 per hour.
▪ Requirements: ability to obtain a commercial driver’s license and driving experience.
