These entry-level jobs start at $20 per hour in Whatcom County. Here’s where to apply
Looking for a job, but need to find one that actually pays enough? Finding a job to support you and your family without a long list of requirements can be difficult.
The Bellingham Herald has searched the job website Indeed and local Craigslist listings to find positions with minimal requirements that are available as of Monday, Aug. 7, that advertise wages at or above living wages:
Kitchen staff positions at Silver Reef Casino
▪ $23 - $25+ per hour depending on experience, plus a $500 hiring bonus
▪ Full-time
▪ No requirements listed
▪ $20.75 - $32.20 per hour
▪ Full-time
▪ Must be at least 18 years old
Receptionist at Axiom Construction & Consulting LLC
▪ $20 - $23 per hour
▪ Full-time
▪ Requirements: high school diploma and valid drivers license
Entry-level machine operator at Lynden Door
▪ $21.10 per hour
▪ Full-time
▪ No requirements listed
Customer service call center representative
▪ $21 per hour
▪ Full-time
▪ Requirements: high school diploma or GED, must be at least 18 years old and type 40 words per minute.
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:
▪ 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.
