Washington minimum wage 2026: state, Seattle and city rates

The Washington minimum wage is $17.13 an hour in 2026 and applies to every employer in the state, no matter how many people it employs. On January 1, 2027, it goes up to $17.73 an hour. That is the floor. If your staff work in Seattle or in one of the seven other places with a local ordinance, a higher rate applies, and you pay whichever rate is highest for each hour worked. This guide covers the state and city rates with sources, the youth wage, the exempt salary thresholds that rise with the minimum wage, the paid sick leave and break rules every WA employer must follow, worked pay examples, and a checklist for the January change.

Washington minimum wage 2026 and the 2027 increase

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) sets the rate each year. On September 30, 2025, it announced that the minimum wage would rise 2.8% from $16.66 to $17.13 an hour on January 1, 2026. On September 30, 2026, it announced the next step: the Washington state minimum wage for 2027 will be $17.73 an hour from January 1, 2027, a 3.5% increase.

How the number is set: Initiative 1433, approved by voters in 2016, fixed the rate at $11.00, $11.50, $12.00 and $13.50 for 2017 through 2020. Since 2021 L&I adjusts it every year for inflation using the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), comparing August of the current year with August of the year before. L&I announces the new rate on September 30 and it takes effect January 1.

The federal minimum wage is still $7.25, so it plays no part in Washington pay. For how the WA minimum wage compares with other states, see our minimum wage by state table.

Weekly pay examples at the Washington minimum wage

These examples show gross pay before taxes for a non-exempt employee paid only by the hour.

Example with overtime. A kitchen worker in Spokane earns the state minimum of $17.13 and works 44 hours in one workweek. Washington owes time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, so 4 hours are overtime at $25.695 an hour ($17.13 × 1.5).

1. Regular pay: 40 hours × $17.13 = $685.20.
2. Overtime pay: 4 hours × $25.695 = $102.78.
3. Total for the week: $685.20 + $102.78 = $787.98.

The same week in 2027 pays 40 × $17.73 = $709.20 plus 4 × $26.595 = $106.38, for $815.58. In Seattle in 2026 it pays 40 × $21.30 = $852.00 plus 4 × $31.95 = $127.80, for $979.80. If the employee also earns a night premium, add it to the regular rate before multiplying; our shift differential guide shows how, and how to calculate overtime covers bonuses and two-rate weeks.

Example with a 15-year-old. A 15-year-old bagging groceries in Tacoma may be paid 85% of the state rate: $14.56 an hour in 2026. A 12-hour week pays $174.72. From January 1, 2027, the same hours pay 12 × $15.07 = $180.84. A 16-year-old doing the same job gets the full $17.13.

Washington minimum wage history

These figures come from L&I's history of Washington's minimum wage. Washington has used a single statewide rate for all employer sizes throughout.

Tips, minors and who is covered

• No tip credit. L&I states that tips and service charges may not be counted toward an employee's hourly minimum wage, and that employers must pass all tips and service charges on to employees. A server in Spokane gets at least $17.13 an hour from the employer, and tips are on top. Seattle's ordinance says the same: since 2025, tips and medical benefit payments no longer count toward the Seattle minimum wage for any employer.
• Minors aged 14 and 15. Employers may pay no less than 85% of the minimum wage: $14.56 in 2026 and $15.07 from January 1, 2027. Workers aged 16 and 17 get the full rate. Some city ordinances, such as Tukwila's, apply their full local rate to workers under 18, so check the city rule before using the youth rate.
• Hours worked. L&I counts opening and closing the business, required training and meetings as hours worked, so they are paid at the minimum wage or more.
• Agricultural workers. Most agricultural jobs are covered by the minimum wage, and since January 1, 2024, agricultural workers also earn overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, the same as everyone else.
• Rideshare drivers. Drivers on app-based platforms have their own L&I minimums. For 2026 a Seattle trip pays at least $0.70 per passenger platform minute plus $1.63 per mile, or $6.12 per trip, whichever is greater; outside Seattle it is $0.40 plus $1.38, or $3.55. From January 1, 2027, these become $0.72 plus $1.69 or $6.34 in Seattle, and $0.41 plus $1.43 or $3.68 elsewhere.
• Exemptions. Some jobs are exempt from the Minimum Wage Act, such as salaried executive, administrative and professional employees who meet L&I's duties and salary tests. The salary side of that test is covered below.

Seattle minimum wage and other city rates for 2026 and 2027

Eight jurisdictions in Washington set a minimum wage above the state rate, all of them adjusting on January 1. Each has its own definition of employer size, usually counted worldwide rather than inside the city, and several phase smaller employers up to the full rate over a few years. The rates below come from each jurisdiction's official notice or from L&I's local minimum wage page, as of November 12, 2026.

A few notes on the table. The Seattle minimum wage, set by the Office of Labor Standards and indexed to the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue CPI-W, has been a single rate for all employer sizes since 2025. SeaTac's rate covers only hospitality and transportation employers under SeaTac Municipal Code 7.45, including those at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; other SeaTac employers pay the state rate. Bellingham's ordinance sets the city rate at $2.00 above the state minimum each January 1, which gives $19.73 for 2027; the city publishes the figure within two weeks of L&I's announcement, so confirm it on the city's website. In Renton, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County, employers below the smallest tier (generally fewer than 15 employees and under $2 million in revenue) pay the state rate. Tukwila applies its rate to workers under 18 and to temporary, seasonal and part-time staff.

The city rate depends on where the work happens, not where the business is registered. A cleaning crew that spends Monday in Seattle, Tuesday in Tukwila and Wednesday in unincorporated King County is owed each jurisdiction's rate for the hours worked there. King County publishes a lookup tool to confirm which jurisdiction an address falls in, and a time clock app with GPS and geofencing that records where each shift happened makes the split straightforward at payroll time.

Exempt salary thresholds for 2026 and 2027

The WA minimum wage also sets the salary floor for overtime-exempt employees. Under L&I's overtime rules, a salaried executive, administrative or professional employee must earn a multiple of the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week to pass the salary test. The multiplier has been climbing since 2020 and reaches 2.5 for every employer in 2028. For 2027 it splits by employer size.

The arithmetic is simple: $17.73 × 2.5 × 40 = $1,773.00 a week, and × 52 = $92,196.00 a year. City minimum wages do not change these figures; only the state rate counts. The headcount is the employer's total Washington workforce, so a company with 60 employees across three stores is a large employer even if no store has more than 25. Washington's thresholds are far above the federal $684 a week, so the state test is the one that matters here. Salary is only half the test; duties matter too, as our exempt vs non-exempt guide explains. An exempt manager earning $85,000 at a 60-person company passes in 2026 and fails on January 1, 2027, so either the salary goes to $92,196 or the manager becomes non-exempt and earns overtime.

Overtime, paid sick leave and breaks in Washington

Three rules travel with the WA minimum wage on every paycheck.

• Overtime. Non-exempt employees earn at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, and the regular rate cannot be below the minimum wage. Washington does not require daily overtime after 8 hours, except on certain public works projects. At the 2027 minimum, L&I notes an overtime hour pays $26.60.
• Paid sick leave. Every employee covered by the Minimum Wage Act, including part-time, temporary and seasonal staff, earns at least 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, may start using it 90 calendar days after the first day of work, and carries over up to 40 unused hours to the next year. Since July 27, 2025, leave can also be used to prepare for or attend an immigration proceeding for the employee or a family member. Seattle, Tacoma and SeaTac layer their own paid leave rules on top. Our paid time off guide covers how sick leave fits with vacation and PTO.
• Meal and rest breaks (WAC 296-126-092). L&I requires a meal period of at least 30 minutes when an employee works more than five hours in a shift, starting between the second and fifth hour. The meal period is paid if the employee must remain on duty. Someone working more than 3 hours beyond their scheduled shift gets an additional meal period. Employees also get a paid rest period, free from duties, of at least 10 minutes for every 4 hours worked, and cannot be required to work more than 3 hours without a rest break. Workers under 18 and agricultural workers have different standards.

Because overtime and paid sick leave both key off hours actually worked, accurate punches matter more in Washington than in most states. A shift scheduling tool that shows labor cost per shift at the new rate, and a time clock that records breaks, keep both numbers right before payroll runs.

What employers should do before January 1, 2027

1. List every work location. Note whether each is in Seattle, Tukwila, Renton, Burien, Everett, SeaTac, Bellingham or unincorporated King County, and record the current and 2027 rate and your employer tier for each.
2. Find everyone under $17.73. Update hourly rates for the first payroll period that includes hours worked on or after January 1, 2027, plus any higher city rate. Youth rates move to $15.07.
3. Check exempt salaries by headcount. With 51 or more employees, every exempt salary must reach $92,196.00 a year from January 1, 2027. With 50 or fewer, the floor is $82,976.40. Reclassify anyone below it as non-exempt and start tracking their hours.
4. Check hourly computer professionals. The exempt hourly rate rises to $62.06.
5. Watch for pay compression. A shift lead earning $17.50 today will soon earn 23 cents less than a new hire at the state minimum. Decide on raises before the January schedule is published.
6. Recalculate overtime and premiums. Overtime and shift differentials are based on the regular rate, so they rise with the base wage.
7. Swap the posters and notices. Post L&I's updated minimum wage poster. Tukwila requires employers to give each employee the new notice by December 2, Burien requires an annual compliance certification starting January 31, 2027, and Seattle publishes a new workplace poster each year.
8. Plan for July 1 too. Mid-size employers in Everett step up again on July 1, 2027.

Underpaying the minimum wage is costly. L&I investigates wage complaints and can order back wages plus interest and civil penalties, and retaliation complaints can be filed within 180 days. Employers can reach L&I's Employment Standards Program at 1-866-219-7321. If you also have staff in California, the same January 1 checklist applies at $17.40; see our California minimum wage guide.

Frequently asked questions