2028 Virginia Minimum Wage
The 2028 Virginia Minimum Wage is $15.
Effective 2028-01-01Source: § 40.1-28.10. Minimum wages (Virginia Law)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2027
| Item | 2027 | 2028 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $13.75 | $15 | +$1.25 (+9.1%) |
Who it applies to
Employers in Virginia and their employees
What changed this year, and why
Virginia's state minimum wage rises to $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, up from $13.75 per hour in 2027.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Virginia for 2028?
- From January 1, 2028, through December 31, 2028, Virginia's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour, or the federal minimum wage if that amount is higher.
- What was the minimum wage in Virginia before 2028?
- Virginia's minimum wage was $13.75 per hour from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Minimum wage pay calculator takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
Virginia Code § 40.1-28.10 D sets the 2028 minimum wage at the greater of $15.00 per hour or the federal minimum wage. Because Virginia's rate is higher than the current federal floor, employers in the Commonwealth must pay at least $15 per hour. The "greater of" language means the two rates work together automatically: whichever government — state or federal — has set the higher figure is the one that protects the worker. If Congress were to raise the federal minimum wage above $15 in the future, the federal amount would become the enforceable floor in Virginia without any separate state action. For now, Virginia gives workers more than the federal rate does, and the statute ensures that employees always receive the more protective of the two wages.
D. From January 1, 2028, until January 1, 2029, every employer shall pay to each of its employees wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i) $15.00 per hour or (ii) the federal minimum wage.
§ 40.1-28.10. Minimum wages (Virginia Law)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
Starting in 2028, Virginia's minimum wage is adjusted each year for inflation. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry must announce the new rate by October 1, and the adjusted figure takes effect on the following January 1, running for a 12-month period. The increase is calculated by taking the current state hourly minimum wage and raising it by the percentage that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) — published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics — increased during the most recent calendar year. If the CPI-U went down or stayed flat, the adjustment cannot reduce the wage; the annual increase is never less than zero. For example, the 2028 rate is $15 per hour, and by October 1, 2028 the Commissioner will calculate the 2029 rate based on how much the CPI-U rose during calendar year 2028. This mechanism ensures that Virginia's floor keeps pace with the cost of living without requiring new legislation each year.
F. By October 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner shall establish the adjusted state hourly minimum wage that shall be in effect during the 12-month period commencing on the following January 1. The Commissioner shall set the adjusted state hourly minimum wage at the sum of (i) the amount of the state hourly minimum wage rate that is in effect on the date such adjustment is made and (ii) a percentage of the amount described in clause (i) that is equal to the percentage by which the United States Average Consumer Price Index for all items, all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, or a successor index as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, has increased during the most recent calendar year for which such information is available. The amount of each annual adjustment shall not be less than zero.
§ 40.1-28.10. Minimum wages (Virginia Law)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
§ 40.1-28.10. Minimum wages (Virginia Law)
- Hourly
D. From January 1, 2028, until January 1, 2029, every employer shall pay to each of its employees wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i) $15.00 per hour
Other years
Every Virginia Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state