2018 Washington Minimum Wage
The 2018 Washington Minimum Wage is $11.50.
Effective 2018-01-01Source: History of Washington State's Minimum Wage (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2017
| Item | 2017 | 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $11 | $11.50 | +$0.50 (+4.5%) |
Who it applies to
All non-exempt employees working in Washington State
What changed this year, and why
Washington's statewide minimum wage was $11.50 per hour, effective January 1, 2018. This rate was set by a voter-approved measure that established a schedule of fixed minimum wages for several years before returning to annual cost-of-living adjustments.
Common questions
- How does the 2018 minimum wage compare to 2017?
- Washington's minimum wage was $11.00 per hour in 2017. The 2018 rate of $11.50 per hour was higher.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Washington workers and employers with questions about the state minimum wage rate can contact the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Employment Standards Program. Complaints about unpaid wages or wage violations are handled through this office. Workers can reach the program by email at ESgeneral@Lni.wa.gov, by calling the toll-free number 1-866-219-7321, or by calling the local number 360-902-5316. Written correspondence can be mailed to the Employment Standards Program at PO Box 44510, Olympia, WA 98504-4510. The program operates under the Workplace Rights division and is the designated point of contact for minimum wage enforcement and wage complaint resolution in Washington.
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
Under Washington State law, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) must update the state minimum wage every year. The update is a cost-of-living adjustment tied to the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a measure of the prices workers pay for everyday goods and services. When the CPI-W rises, L&I raises the minimum wage by a corresponding percentage so that workers' purchasing power keeps pace with inflation. If the index stays flat or falls, the wage does not decrease. L&I calculates the new amount and announces it before each annual effective date. For 2018, the resulting hourly rate was $11.50. This CPI-W formula was originally adopted by Washington voters and, after a pause for fixed statutory rates, now applies every year going forward.
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
Initiative 1433, approved by Washington voters in 2016, requires a statewide minimum wage of $11.00 in 2017, $11.50 in 2018, $12.00 in 2019, and $13.50 in 2020.
Other years
Every Washington Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state