Washington minimum wage: $17.13 an hour, rising to $17.73 on January 1, 2027
Checked November 9, 2026Source: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
Some cities and counties in Washington require more. See city and county rates
Short answer
Washington’s minimum wage is $17.13 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
Tipped employees must be paid the full minimum wage in cash; Washington doesn’t let employers count tips toward it.
It rises to $17.73 on January 1, 2027.
Local rates are higher in 8 Washington cities and counties, up to $21.78 an hour in Burien.
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- Minimum wage today
- $17.13
- From January 1, 2027
- $17.73
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $35,630
Cities and counties can require more. Seattle, SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County set higher minimum wages.
What changed for Washington pay
· Rate announced
Washington sets 2027 minimum salaries for overtime-exempt workers
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced that from January 1, 2027, salaried workers must earn at least $1,595.70 a week at employers with 1 to 50 employees, and at least $1,773.00 a week at employers with 51 or more, to be exempt from overtime. Those are 2.25 and 2.5 times the 2027 state minimum wage of $17.73 an hour.
City and county rates in Washington
Read from each government source on November 9, 2026. Where a place sets different rates by employer, each gets its own line.
| Place | Rate now | Next rate and date | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | $19.13 | Not posted yetfor January 1, 2027 | All hours worked within Bellingham city limits.Source: City of Bellingham |
| BurienLarge (501 or more employees) | $21.78 | $22.49on January 1, 2027 | Employers with employees working in Burien (Burien Municipal Code Chapter 5.16). Franchisee size follows the franchise network’s employee count.Source: City of Burien |
| BurienMedium (16 to 500 employees) | $20.78 | $22.49on January 1, 2027 | |
| BurienSmall (15 or fewer employees) | $19.28 | $20.49on January 1, 2027 | |
| EverettLarge (500 or more employees) | $20.77 | $21.52in 2027 | Large employers (500 or more employees, including franchises under common control) and covered employers (15 to 499 employees, or annual gross income over $2 million in revenue in Everett). Excludes tips and service charges.Source: City of Everett |
| EverettCovered (15 to 499 employees, or over $2 million revenue in Everett) | $19.77 | $20.52on January 1, 2027 | |
| King County500 or more employees, any gross revenue | $20.82 | $21.57on January 1, 2027 | Work done in unincorporated King County only.Source: King County Department of Local Services |
| King CountyMore than 15 but fewer than 500 employees, any gross revenue | $19.82 | $21.57on January 1, 2027 | |
| King County15 or fewer employees, gross revenue of $2 million or more | $19.82 | $21.57on January 1, 2027 | |
| King County15 or fewer employees, gross revenue under $2 million | $18.32 | $19.57on January 1, 2027 | |
| RentonLarge (more than 500 employees) | $21.57 | $22.28on January 1, 2027 | Large employers (more than 500 employees worldwide and certain franchises) and mid-size employers (at least 15 but no more than 500 employees worldwide, or over $2 million annual gross revenue in Renton), for hours worked in the city. Others follow state law.Sources: City of Renton, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries |
| RentonMid-size (15 to 500 employees, or over $2 million annual gross revenue in Renton) | $21.57 | $22.28on January 1, 2027 | |
| SeaTacHospitality and transportation employers | $20.74 | $21.47on January 1, 2027 | Hospitality and transportation industry employers, which the city’s page describes as including those at the airport. Other workers get the state rate.Sources: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, City of SeaTac |
| Seattle | $21.30 | $22.14on January 1, 2027 | Employees working within Seattle city limits, all employers regardless of size.Source: Seattle Office of Labor Standards |
| Tukwila | $21.65 | $22.45on January 1, 2027 | Employers with 15 or more employees worldwide, or over $2 million annual gross revenue generated in Tukwila, or franchisees in a network with more than 500 employees worldwide. Covers workers under 18, temporary, seasonal and part-time workers.Source: City of Tukwila |
What the January 1, 2027 raise costs you
The raise is $0.60 an hour for anyone paid less than the new rate on January 1, 2027.
- Added wages a year
- $936
- Employer Social Security and Medicare (FICA), 7.65%
- $72
- Total added cost a year
- $1,008
Counts only the raise for workers below the new rate, over 52 weeks. It leaves out raises you give others to keep pay gaps, and state unemployment tax, which usually stops at a wage cap.
Washington minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027Upcoming | $17.73 | 3.5% inflation increase announced September 30, 2026.source |
| January 1, 2026Current | $17.13 | source |
| January 1, 2025 | $16.66 | Tips and service charges cannot count toward the minimum.source |
Adjusted each January 1 by the August-to-August change in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers; the Department of Labor & Industries calculates the new rate on September 30.
Other Washington rates
Youth (ages 14-15)
Workers aged 14 and 15 may be paid 85% of the adult minimum.
Today: $14.56 · from January 1, 2027: $15.07
Before January 1, 2027
- Update every hourly rate below $17.73 in payroll so the first paycheck on or after that date is right.
- Replace the minimum wage poster with the new year’s version from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
- Check salaried exempt employees too. Washington sets its overtime-exempt salary as a multiple of the state minimum wage, so it rises when the minimum wage does.
Other Washington pay rules
- Paydays
- At least once a month on a regular payday.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a 7-day workweek. To be exempt from overtime, salaried employees must earn at least 2.25 times the state minimum wage ($1,541.70 a week in 2026). In 2027 the minimum is $1,595.70 a week at employers with 1 to 50 employees and $1,773.00 a week at employers with 51 or more.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: By the next regular payday. Employers can’t hold the check because keys, uniforms or tools weren’t returned. Quit: By the next regular payday. Employers can’t hold the check because keys, uniforms or tools weren’t returned.
From the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Washington employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to Washington
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in Washington in 2026?
Washington’s minimum wage is $17.13 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Washington?
Tipped employees must be paid the full minimum wage in cash; Washington doesn’t let employers count tips toward it.
When does the Washington minimum wage go up next?
On January 1, 2027, to $17.73 an hour. Adjusted each January 1 by the August-to-August change in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers; the Department of Labor & Industries calculates the new rate on September 30.
Do cities in Washington have a higher minimum wage?
Yes. Seattle, SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County set higher minimum wages. Local rates are higher in 8 Washington cities and counties, up to $21.78 an hour in Burien.
Does Washington require overtime pay?
Time and a half after 40 hours in a 7-day workweek. To be exempt from overtime, salaried employees must earn at least 2.25 times the state minimum wage ($1,541.70 a week in 2026). In 2027 the minimum is $1,595.70 a week at employers with 1 to 50 employees and $1,773.00 a week at employers with 51 or more.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Washington must do
Sources
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
- City of SeaTac announces 2027 minimum wage adjustments (October 8, 2026), City of SeaTac (read Nov 9, 2026)
- Washington’s minimum wage rises to $17.73 an hour in 2027 (news release 26-17, September 30, 2026), Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (read Nov 7, 2026)
- History of Washington State’s Minimum Wage, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (read Nov 7, 2026)
- RCW 49.46.020, Minimum hourly wages (annual CPI-W adjustment), Washington State Legislature (read Nov 7, 2026)
- City Minimum Wage, City of Bellingham (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Local Minimum Wage Rates, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum Wage, City of Burien (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum wage, City of Everett (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum wage in unincorporated King County, King County Department of Local Services (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Labor Standards, City of Renton (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Employment standards for hospitality and transportation employers, City of SeaTac (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum Wage, Seattle Office of Labor Standards (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Labor Standards: Minimum Wage Ordinance, City of Tukwila (read Nov 8, 2026)