Everett minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Everett is $20.77 an hour in 2026 (Large employers), $3.64 above the Washington rate of $17.13. It rises to $21.52 on January 1, 2027. Everett's wage comes from a 2024 voter initiative and applies only to employers with 15 or more employees or more than $2 million in annual gross revenue. Employers with more than 500 employees pay the full rate; those with 15 to 499 are being phased in at a lower rate that rose on January 1 and July 1, 2026.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $20.77 an hour (Large employers), since January 1, 20262 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $21.52 on January 1, 2027 (announced)1 |
| Tipped employees | $20.77, the full minimum wage before tips12 |
| Full-time pay | $831 a week, $43,202 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Everett |
What to know about the Everett minimum wage
Everett's minimum wage dates from mid-2025. Initiative Measure 24-01 was approved in November 2024 and took effect on July 1, 2025 as Everett Municipal Code Chapter 5.08; the City Council followed with implementing rules, adopted by resolution in May 2025.1
The law splits employers by size. Those with more than 500 employees, counted wherever they work, owe $20.77 an hour for 2026. Other covered employers, with at least 15 employees or more than $2 million in annual revenue, are being phased in: $18.24 from July 1, 2025, then $18.77 from January 1, 2026 and $19.77 from July 1, 2026, $1.00 below the large-employer rate.3 On July 1, 2027 they reach the full large-employer rate. Employers below both thresholds are not covered and follow the Washington State minimum wage.1
Tipped workers are owed the full rate for their employer's size: tips, gratuities and service charges are dealt with separately in the ordinance and do not count toward the hourly minimum. The ordinance also contains labor standards beyond the wage itself.1 The large-employer rate is adjusted every January 1 for inflation, with the new figure due from the city by October 15.3
All 2026 rates
Which rate applies depends on the employer. Large employers, with more than 500 employees counted wherever they work, pay $20.77 for 2026. Other covered employers, those with at least 15 employees or more than $2 million in annual revenue, paid $18.77 from January 1, 2026 and $19.77 from July 1, 2026, and reach the full rate on July 1, 2027. Employers below both thresholds are outside the city law and pay the Washington State minimum wage.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Large employers | More than 500 employees counted wherever they work, including franchisees in a network of more than 500$21.52 from January 1, 20271 | $20.772 |
| Other covered employers | At least 15 employees anywhere, or more than $2 million in annual gross revenue; phased in below the large-employer rate until July 1, 2027$20.52 from January 1, 20271 | $19.772 |
Compared with Washington
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Everett, that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Everett | $21.52 on January 1, 2027 | $20.77 |
| Washington (state) | $17.73 on January 1, 2027 | $17.13 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Not allowed: tips are on top of the full minimum wage |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $20.77 an hour12 |
Tips, gratuities and service charges are handled separately under the Everett law and are not part of the hourly minimum, so tipped workers are owed the full rate for their employer's size before tips.
How the rate changes
The large-employer rate rises each January 1 by the change in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue CPI-W for the year ending in August, and the city publishes it by October 15. Other covered employers paid $2.00 less from July 1, 2025 and $1.00 less from July 1, 2026, and pay the full rate from July 1, 2027.
Other covered employers pay $20.52 from January 1, 2027 and move up to the full large-employer rate, $21.52, on July 1, 2027.
Rate history
Who is covered
Employees working in Everett for employers with 15 or more employees anywhere, or with more than $2 million in annual gross revenue. Large employers are those with more than 500 employees wherever they work, including franchisees in a network of more than 500. Smaller employers are not covered and pay the Washington State minimum wage.
- Everett voters approved Initiative Measure 24-01 in November 2024; it took effect on July 1, 2025 as Everett Municipal Code Chapter 5.08, and the City Council adopted implementing rules by resolution in May 2025.
- The ordinance includes labor standards beyond the wage rate, set out in the same chapter of the municipal code.
- The city's labor standards program is run through the City Clerk and business licensing office, at 425-257-8700.
Other local rates in Washington
- Burien$21.78
- Tukwila$21.65
- Renton$21.57
- Seattle$21.30
- King County (unincorporated areas)$20.82
- SeaTac (hospitality and transportation only)$20.74
- Bellingham$19.13
Everywhere else in Washington, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of Everett |
|---|---|
| The law | Everett Municipal Code Chapter 5.08 (Labor Standards), City of Everett Initiative Measure 24-01 |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Everett, Minimum wage - Labor Standards Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Local minimum wage rates Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3 City of Everett, Minimum wage frequently asked questions Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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