Auto Body Repairers in the Bellingham area earn a median of $58,180 a year, 13% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #82 of 363 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Mount Vernon and Bremerton, but less in Yakima.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for auto body repairers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.4%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.9% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 27 one-person auto body & paint businesses averaging $55,556 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $73/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Bellingham scorecard for auto body repairers Our calculation
Grades compare Bellingham with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($51,680).
Pay over time
The median pay for auto body repairers in the Bellingham area went from $40,920 in 2020 to $58,180 in 2025, up 42.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +13.4% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Bellingham Our calculation
Prices in the Bellingham area run 3% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $56,303 would in a typical place, ranking #151 of 361 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What auto body repairers do
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
- Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
- Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
- Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, auto body repairer jobs are projected to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 12,600 openings a year. About 8% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often auto body repairers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Washington Official source
The main state licensing office in Washington is the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. It can point you to the right license for auto body repairers.
Official Washington licensing site ↗
Requirements for auto body repairers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, auto body repairers have 60 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 31% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying WA metros for auto body repairers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeattleWASHINGTON · WA | $64,590 | $58,120 | 1,340 |
| BremertonWASHINGTON · WA | $59,290 | $56,142 | 60 |
| KennewickWASHINGTON · WA | $59,240 | $59,193 | 90 |
| Mount VernonWASHINGTON · WA | $58,750 | $57,349 | 40 |
| OlympiaWASHINGTON · WA | $58,240 | $56,178 | 100 |
| BellinghamWASHINGTON · WA | $58,180 | $56,303 | 60 |
| SpokaneWASHINGTON · WA | $56,660 | $56,465 | 170 |
| YakimaWASHINGTON · WA | $46,240 | $48,396 | 70 |
See every metro in Washington.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Bellingham area's unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just auto body repairers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Bellingham area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 7% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 71% drive alone, 2% take transit and 14% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Bellingham area's population grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025 (227,452 → 236,392), ranking #128 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +8,934) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Bellingham are down 35% from 2021 to 2025 (1,871 → 1,214).
In 2025 the Bellingham area approved permits for 1,214 new homes (607 single-family), or 5.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #127 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 27 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto body & paint, averaging $55,556 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 27 auto body & paint companies that have employees (about 228 workers in total). 48% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $58,180 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get auto body repairer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Bellingham with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.