King County (unincorporated areas) minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in King County (unincorporated areas) is $20.82 an hour in 2026 (Employers with 500 or more employees), $3.69 above the Washington rate of $17.13. It rises to $21.57 on January 1, 2027. This rate covers only unincorporated King County, the areas outside any city; work inside Seattle, Renton, Burien and the county's other cities follows that city's rules or the state rate. Smaller employers get temporary discounts that mostly end on January 1, 2027.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $20.82 an hour (Employers with 500 or more employees), since January 1, 20261 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $21.57 on January 1, 2027 (announced)1 |
| Tipped employees | $20.82, the full minimum wage before tips1 |
| Full-time pay | $833 a week, $43,306 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | King County Department of Local Services, 206-477-3800 |
What to know about the King County (unincorporated areas) minimum wage
Unlike the voter-initiated wages in SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton and Burien, King County's rate was adopted by elected officials, and it reaches only places with no city government of their own. The County Council approved Ordinance 19762 in May 2024, and it took effect on January 1, 2025 for work done in unincorporated King County.1 A worker at a business just inside a city boundary may be owed a different rate, so the county publishes an address map for checking.
The county uses two tests at once. Size is the average number of employees over the past 12 months, counting staff wherever they work, and revenue is the business's total worldwide gross revenue. In 2026 that produces three rates: $20.82 for employers with 500 or more employees, $19.82 for employers with 16 to 499 employees and for small employers with $2 million or more in revenue, and $18.32 for small employers under $2 million.1
The middle rate lasts only for 2026. From January 1, 2027 every employer pays $21.57 except businesses with 15 or fewer employees and under $2 million in revenue, which may pay $19.57.1 Washington law does not allow tips to count toward the minimum, so tipped staff are owed the full rate.
The Department of Local Services administers the wage. Employers must post the rate where employees can see it, using county posters available in 13 languages, and must keep records of all hours worked.1
All 2026 rates
In 2026 employers with 500 or more employees pay $20.82. Employers with 16 to 499 employees, and employers with 15 or fewer employees whose worldwide revenue is $2 million or more, pay $1.00 less in 2026. Employers with 15 or fewer employees and worldwide revenue under $2 million pay $2.50 less in 2026.
From January 1, 2027 nearly everyone pays $21.57. Only employers with 15 or fewer employees and under $2 million in worldwide revenue keep a discount in 2027, reduced to $2.00, for a rate of $19.57.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Employers with 500 or more employees | 500 or more employees; from January 1, 2027 all employers except the smallest low-revenue businesses$21.57 from January 1, 20271 | $20.821 |
| 16 to 499 employees, or small with $2 million or more in revenue | 2026 only: 16 to 499 employees, or 15 or fewer employees with worldwide revenue of $2 million or more; same as the standard rate from January 1, 2027$21.57 from January 1, 20271 | $19.821 |
| 15 or fewer employees, under $2 million in revenue | 15 or fewer employees and worldwide annual gross revenue under $2 million$19.57 from January 1, 20271 | $18.321 |
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 King County (unincorporated areas), that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| King County (unincorporated areas) | $21.57 on January 1, 2027 | $20.82 |
| 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 | $20.82 an hour1 |
Tips cannot count toward the county rate; tipped workers are owed the full hourly rate for their employer's size before tips.
How the rate changes
The rate is adjusted every January 1. The reduced rates for smaller employers are temporary: the $1.00 discount ends on January 1, 2027, and the smallest low-revenue employers pay $2.00 less in 2027 instead of $2.50.
Rate history
Who is covered
Work performed in unincorporated King County; the county offers an address map to check whether a workplace is outside city limits. Employer size is the average number of employees over the past 12 months, wherever they work, and revenue is the business's total worldwide gross revenue.
- The King County Council approved the unincorporated-area minimum wage, Ordinance 19762, in May 2024; it took effect on January 1, 2025.
- Employers must post the rate in the workplace; the county provides posters in 13 languages.
- Employers must record all hours worked. Questions go to the Department of Local Services at [email protected] or 206-477-3800.
Other local rates in Washington
- Burien$21.78
- Tukwila$21.65
- Renton$21.57
- Seattle$21.30
- Everett$20.77
- 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 | King County Department of Local Services |
|---|---|
| Phone | 206-477-3800 |
| The law | King County Ordinance 19762 (minimum wage for unincorporated King County, adopted 2024) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1
- 2 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Local minimum wage rates Checked Oct 9, 2026
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