Salary comparison
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education: Bellingham vs Modesto
Bellingham, WA pays about 0.3% more for secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education on paper — $102,160 vs $101,890. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bellingham comes out ahead by $270 a year in real buying power.
Bellingham, WA
$102,160
$80,860
$127,430
$49.12
100
$102,160/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Modesto, CA
$101,890
$80,060
$125,870
$48.99
100
$101,890/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $270 a year (0.3%) in favor of Bellingham. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bellingham runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Modesto sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bellingham is the better deal by $270 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Modesto to Bellingham for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education earn more, Bellingham or Modesto?
Bellingham pays $102,160 on median — about 0.3% more than Modesto ($101,890). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bellingham. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bellingham gives you roughly$102,160 of real buying power versus $101,890 in the other city.