Tukwila minimum wage 2026

What to know about the Tukwila minimum wage

Tukwila's minimum wage was written by voters, not the city council. Initiative Measure No. 1 passed in November 2022 and became Tukwila Municipal Code Chapter 5.63. The first pay requirement started on July 1, 2023, with the large-employer rate pegged to SeaTac's 2022 hospitality and transportation wage adjusted for inflation.⁠¹

Mid-size employers got a two-year runway: $2.00 below the large-employer rate until June 30, 2024 and $1.00 below until June 30, 2025.⁠³ On July 1, 2025 the two converged at $21.10, and the single rate rose to $21.65 on January 1, 2026.⁠¹⁠²

Coverage reaches further than a headcount test. A business with only a handful of staff is still covered if it earns more than $2 million a year in Tukwila or belongs to a franchise network of more than 500 employees, so even a small franchise outlet can owe the city rate. Workers under 18 are covered, and tips and service charges must be paid on top of the minimum.⁠³

The Finance Department administers the law. Employers must post and hand out the annual Notice to Employees, offer additional hours to qualified part-time staff before hiring, and certify compliance each January. Complaints go to the City Attorney, and workers may also sue within five years.⁠¹⁠³ Following Seattle-area inflation, the rate for January 1, 2027 is $22.45 for all covered employers.⁠⁶

Rates and changes

Smaller employers are outside the city law: a business with fewer than 15 employees, no more than $2 million in Tukwila revenue and no tie to a franchise network of more than 500 employees pays the Washington State minimum wage instead.

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 Tukwila, that is the local rate.

Tipped employees

Tips and service charges are paid on top of the Tukwila minimum and cannot count toward it; commissions can count.

How the rate changes

Each January 1 the rate rises by the annual average growth of the CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue over the 12 months ending in August. The Finance Department publishes the new rate by October 15, and employers must notify workers by December 2.

Rate history

Who is covered

Employees of covered employers for hours worked within Tukwila city limits, including workers under 18 and temporary, seasonal and part-time staff. An employer is covered if it has 15 or more employees worldwide (with at least one having worked in Tukwila), more than $2 million a year in gross revenue generated in Tukwila, or is a franchisee in a network of more than 500 employees. Public employers and nonprofits are covered; driving through the city without stopping does not count.

• The wage comes from Initiative Measure No. 1, approved by Tukwila voters in November 2022, codified as Tukwila Municipal Code Chapter 5.63. Pay requirements began on July 1, 2023.
• Mid-size employers were phased in at $2.00 below the large-employer rate until June 30, 2024 and $1.00 below until June 30, 2025.
• Covered employers must offer extra hours to qualified part-time employees before hiring, give and post the annual Notice to Employees, and file a compliance certification with the city by January 31 each year.
• Workers may sue within five years for unpaid wages with interest and up to double damages, and the city can deny, suspend or revoke business licenses.

Other local rates in Washington

• Burien$21.78
• Renton$21.57
• Seattle$21.30
• King County (unincorporated areas)$20.82
• 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.

Sources

1. 1
   City of Tukwila, Labor Standards - Minimum Wage Ordinance Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   City of Tukwila, 2026 Notice to Employees - Tukwila Labor Standards Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   City of Tukwila, City of Tukwila Administrative Rule 2026-1, Tukwila Labor Standards applicable to TMC 5.63 (effective 2026-07-28) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   State of Washington (business.wa.gov), Minimum Wage - Tukwila Checked Oct 9, 2026
5. 5
   Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Local minimum wage rates Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   City of Tukwila, 2027 Notice to Employees Flyer and Workplace Poster Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑

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