2017 Washington Minimum Wage
The 2017 Washington Minimum Wage is $11.
Effective 2017-01-01Source: History of Washington State's Minimum Wage (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
All employers and employees in Washington State covered by the state minimum wage law
What changed this year, and why
Washington State's minimum wage was $11.00 per hour in 2017. This rate took effect on January 1, 2017, as set by an initiative approved by voters in 2016. That initiative established a fixed schedule for the minimum wage for several years rather than using the annual cost-of-living adjustment.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers and employers in Washington who have questions about the 2017 minimum wage of $11 per hour, or who believe their rights have been violated, can contact the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Employment Standards Program. The agency accepts inquiries by email at ESgeneral@Lni.wa.gov, by toll-free telephone at 1-866-219-7321, or by phone at 360-902-5316. Written complaints can be mailed to the Employment Standards Program at PO Box 44510, Olympia, WA 98504-4510. The Employment Standards Program is the state office responsible for enforcing Washington's minimum wage and other workplace rights, so a worker who was paid less than the $11 hourly rate required in 2017 should direct a wage complaint to this office.
Workplace Rights Employment Standards Program Email: ESgeneral@Lni.wa.gov Toll-free: 1-866-219-7321 Phone: 360-902-5316 Fax: 360-902-5300 Mailing address Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Employment Standards Program PO Box 44510 Olympia WA 98504-4510
History of Washington State's Minimum Wage (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
Washington State's minimum wage is adjusted every year for inflation by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). The increase is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a federal inflation measure that tracks how the cost of everyday goods and services changes over time. This annual cost-of-living adjustment is intended to preserve the purchasing power of the minimum wage so it does not lose value as prices rise. In years when the inflation-based formula applies, L&I announces the new rate and the updated wage takes effect on January 1. When fixed statutory rates were in place instead, voters approved specific dollar amounts for each year - for example, $11 in 2017 - and the annual CPI-W adjustment resumed afterward. The current system therefore alternates between set statutory levels and the automatic annual inflation adjustment, depending on what the governing voter-approved measure requires for a given period.
Each year, L&I is required to make a cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage based on the CPI-W.
History of Washington State's Minimum Wage (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries)
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.
History of Washington State's Minimum Wage (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries)
- Hourly
requires a statewide minimum wage of $11.00 in 2017
Other years
Every Washington Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state