Washington minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Washington is $17.13 an hour in 2026, rising to $17.73 on January 1, 2027. Washington adjusts its minimum wage every January 1 by the change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, a system voters adopted in 1998. Tips cannot count toward the wage, 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85% of it, and several cities set higher local rates.
Contents12 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $17.13 an hour, since January 1, 2026126 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $17.73 on January 1, 2027 (announced)12 |
| Tipped employees | $17.13, the full minimum wage before tips47 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week106 · details |
| Full-time pay | $685 a week, $35,630 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, 1-866-219-7321 |
What to know about the Washington minimum wage
Washington's minimum wage rises automatically each year, and that system came from voters. Initiative 688, approved in 1998, tied the rate to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers starting in 2001. Initiative 1433 in 2016 then set fixed amounts for 2017 through 2020, ending at $13.50, after which yearly adjustments returned to the same index in 2021.2 Each September the Department of Labor and Industries calculates the August-to-August change, announces the new rate by September 30, and the rate takes effect January 1.41
Workers aged 14 and 15 may be paid 85% of the adult minimum, which the department lists as $15.07 an hour from January 1, 2027.1 Everyone 16 and older gets the full rate, in most farm and non-farm jobs. Tips and service charges never count toward the minimum: a server must receive the full hourly wage before tips, $17.13 in 2026.4
RCW 49.46.120 describes the state law as a set of minimum standards and leaves more favorable local laws in force, so cities and counties may set higher wages.5 Several have, and their rates appear in the local list on this page; employers in those places follow the higher local rate.3 Workers can file a workplace rights complaint with the department for unpaid wages, tips, service charges or paid sick leave, and pay is owed for all hours worked, including required training, meetings and opening or closing duties.1
All 2026 rates
Workers 16 and older are owed the full state rate. Workers aged 14 and 15 may be paid 85% of it. Some cities and King County have higher local rates, listed separately on this page.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| State minimum wage | Most employers, for workers 16 and older$17.73 from January 1, 202712 | $17.13126 |
| Workers aged 14 and 15 | At least 85% of the adult minimum wage. | $14.5612 |
| Workers aged 14 and 15, from January 1, 2027 | 85% of the $17.73 minimum for 2027, announced by the Department of Labor and Industries on September 30, 2026. | $15.071 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Not allowed: tips are on top of the full minimum wage |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $17.13 an hour47 |
Washington allows no tip credit. Employers must pay the full minimum wage before tips, and tips and service charges may not count toward it.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | After 40 hours in a workweek, at 1.5 times the regular rate106 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Exempt salary | $1,541.70 a week ($80,168.40 a year), rising to $92,196 a year on January 1, 202711121314From January 1, 2027: Employers with 51 or more employees (2.5 times the minimum wage); employers with 1 to 50 employees: $1,595.70 a week ($82,976.40 a year), 2.25 times the minimum wage. |
Time and a half after 40 hours a week (RCW 49.46.130), with exemptions listed in the statute; employees who request compensating time off in lieu of overtime pay may receive it instead.
2.25 times the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week for all employers in 2026; the multiplier reaches 2.5 for all employers in 2028 (WAC 296-128-545).
Overtime at the minimum wage of $17.13 is $25.695 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
Each year the Department of Labor and Industries raises the rate by the August-to-August change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (RCW 49.46.020), announces it by September 30, and the new rate takes effect January 1.
The Department of Labor and Industries announced on September 30, 2026 that the rate will be $17.73 from January 1, 2027, and $15.07 for workers aged 14 and 15.
Indexed to inflation: yes. Adjusted each January 1 by the August-to-August change in CPI-W, announced by September 30.46
Rate history
Who is covered
Most agricultural and non-agricultural jobs are covered. Some jobs are exempt from the Minimum Wage Act, and some workers under special certificates may be paid less.
- The Department of Labor and Industries can be reached at 1-866-219-7321 or 360-902-5316.
Local rates in Washington
Cities and counties may set higher minimum wages: RCW 49.46.120 makes the Minimum Wage Act a set of minimum standards and leaves more favorable local laws in force.
Places with their own rate
- Burien$21.78
- Tukwila$21.65
- 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
Each local page lists that place's tiers, next change and who is covered.
Largest cities in Washington
- SeattleLocal $21.30
Cities of Washington among the 50 most populous in the US (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates for July 1, 2025). “Local” marks a city with its own minimum wage, “Regional” a state wage region, and “Federal rate” a city where the federal $7.25 is the rate that applies.
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $14.55 to $16.80 |
| Idaho | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
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 | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1-866-219-7321 |
| The law | RCW 49.46.020 (Minimum hourly wage); RCW 49.46.120 (Chapter establishes minimum standards) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 3 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Local Minimum Wage Rates Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 4 Washington State Legislature, RCW 49.46.020 Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 5 Washington State Legislature, RCW 49.46.120 Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 14 Washington State Legislature, WAC 296-128-545 Salary thresholds Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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