F-T workers 65+ have more than doubled since 2000. This is their median wage in Bellingham

The number of people 65 and older working full-time in the United States has more than doubled since 2000, with the average lifespan increasing along with the cost of living.

But a new study using U.S. Census data found that people 65 and older who were employed full-time in the Bellingham metropolitan area in 2021 earned about $10,000 less each year than the national median income, according to Smartest Dollar, a company that conducts finance and consumer research.

Whatcom County residents 65 and older working full-time in 2021 earned a median wage of $43,448, adjusted for the cost of living. The national median income for workings seniors was $55,000.

The study ranks Whatcom County as having one of the lowest median annual adjusted incomes for full-time people 65 and older compared to other small metropolitan areas in the United States. Of the 120 small metropolitan areas included in the study, the Bellingham metropolitan area ranks as No. 99.

Washington’s median annual wage for full-time workers 65 and older was $55,104, ranking the state No. 21 among all U.S. states.

The state with the highest median annual wage for full-time workers 65 and older was Massachusetts at $70,386. The state with the lowest was Wyoming at $46,380.

People 65 and older make up 4.3% of the full-time workforce and 18.7% of the total population in Whatcom County, which is similar to national numbers, according to the data.

Compare Whatcom County’s $43,448 median wage for workers 65 and older to other areas in Washington:

▪ Bremerton-Silverdale: $86,800.

▪ Olympia-Tumwater: $77,225.

▪ Vancouver: $56,941.

▪ Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue: $54,116.

▪ Spokane-Spokane Valley: $48,628.

▪ Wenatchee: $36,853.

▪ Yakima: $36,840.