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Bellingham is a coastal city in Washington less than an hour’s drive from the Canadian border. Though it’s on the smaller side as cities go, Bellingham is the northernmost city (of population 50,000+) in the mainland United States. The city was born as a result of the mid-1800s gold rush. While there was never much gold found at the site, prospectors did uncover bountiful coal deposits and wealthy San Francisco investors subsequently formed the Bellingham Bay Coal Company. With the success of coal mining, the site grew into a town and newly built railroad tracks brought in even more residents, businesses and commerce.
Today, this busy port city still centers on coal mining as well as oil drilling. However, Bellingham’s economy has expanded into other kinds of industrial production, aircraft manufacturing, and maritime transportation. The largest employer in the area is the local hospital, St. Joseph’s and the second largest is the self-governing Lummi nation.
Other major employers in Bellingham include Smith Gardens, a producer of garden products; Allen & Heath, a manufacturer of interior airline parts; APANA water management systems; and Bellingham Marine Industries.
For a city with less than 100,000, it’s impressive that Glassdoor lists over 10,000 job openings available in Bellingham. Many of these openings are for project and product managers, while others are for web developers, analysts, digital marketing pros, and IT roles like systems administrators and network engineers.
Compared with other cities, Bellingham has an especially high concentration of mapping technicians, computer science instructors, machinists, electrical engineers, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, and graphic designers. While engineering roles require specialized knowledge and training, coding skills can be a plus for advanced engineers to leverage in their careers. Engineers may use Python to simulate ideas or automate tasks and MATLAB to analyze systems and circuits.
| Occupation | Average Yearly Salary (May 2020) |
|---|---|
| Mapping Technician | $54,350 |
| Computer Science Instructor | $84,700 |
| Machinist | $51,310 |
| Electrical Engineer | $112,720 |
| Civil Engineer | $96,850 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,670 |
| Graphic Designer | $47,230 |
