BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Some workers in Bellingham will see a sizeable bump in pay starting on Thursday, May 1.

The city’s minimum wage is increasing to $18.66 per hour, a dollar higher than before and two dollars higher than the current state minimum.

The increase comes after voters approved an initiative in 2023 that set Bellingham’s minimum wage above Washington state’s.

The trend will also continue in the coming years.

Starting in 2026, the city minimum wage will be set $2 above the statewide minimum wage on Jan. 1 of each new year.

Bellingham and Everett are the only two cities in Washington outside of King County that have placed their minimum wages above the state’s.