2026 Washington Minimum Wage
The 2026 Washington Minimum Wage is $17.13.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2025
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $16.66 | $17.13 | +$0.47 (+2.8%) |
Who it applies to
Workers in Washington covered by the state minimum wage law. The Department of Labor's table gives Washington's basic minimum rate with no employer-size condition attached, unlike its entries for several other states, and it lists premium pay after a designated number of weekly hours, which does not apply to employees who request compensating time off in lieu of premium pay.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Washington's basic minimum rate as $17.13 per hour, and states in the same entry that the minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula. The entry records no dated step inside the year, and no earlier year of this record is published here, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Washington in 2026?
- It is $17.13 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Washington in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The figure published here is read from that entry alone, so it reflects the state rate as the department recorded it on that date.
- How is the Washington minimum wage adjusted each year?
- The department's Washington entry states that the minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula. That is the whole of what the table says about the mechanism: it does not name the index behind the formula, the period the calculation covers, or the body that performs it, so this page does not describe those details either.
- When does the Washington minimum wage change next?
- The table states that the rate is adjusted annually but attaches no dated step to the Washington entry, and it names neither the amount of the next adjustment nor the day it takes effect. For a few other states the same table gives an adjustment date inside the entry; Washington's does not. The rate published here is the one the table listed as of July 1, 2026.
- Which Washington employers have to pay the state minimum wage?
- The table's Washington entry states a basic minimum rate with no employer-size condition attached to it. For several other states the same table opens the entry with a coverage line limiting it to employers above a stated headcount, and Washington's entry carries no such line. The table does not reproduce the exemptions written into the state statute.
- Does Washington require overtime pay on top of the minimum wage?
- The department's Washington entry lists premium pay after a designated number of weekly hours, which is a requirement separate from the hourly minimum rate. The entry adds one qualification: premium pay is not applicable to employees who request compensating time off in lieu of it. This page publishes the hourly minimum, so the hour threshold itself is not restated here.
- Is Washington's minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage?
- Yes. The same Department of Labor table cites the current federal minimum wage in its entries for states with no minimum wage law of their own, and Washington's basic minimum rate is above that amount. The Washington entry carries no clause adopting the federal rate by reference or substituting it when the federal rate is higher, which several other states' entries do carry.
- Is there a separate tipped or local minimum wage for Washington?
- The department's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Washington and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The table states that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students, training wages for new hires, and local government rates set higher than the state minimum.
- Where does the $17.13 figure on this page come from?
- From the Wage and Hour Division's State Minimum Wage Laws table at dol.gov, in the snapshot captured for this record, where the Washington entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $17.13. The division notes on that page that it tries to keep the information accurate and that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
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.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
The table on this page shows only the general minimum wage that applies to most workers in each state. It does not capture every special category that some states allow employers to pay less. In several states, employers may pay minors, students, or newly hired employees a subminimum or training wage that falls below the standard rate shown here. Some states also exempt certain categories of workers from minimum wage coverage altogether. Because these lower or exempt rates vary by state and by the worker's age, student status, or length of employment, they are not reflected in this table. Employers operating in states with such provisions need to check whether a lower rate applies to a particular employee. The same is true for local jurisdictions that have set a wage floor above the state rate. In short, the figures on this page are the starting point, not the final answer, for any worker or employer who falls into a special category or works in a locality with its own minimum wage ordinance.
Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
The minimum wage figures displayed in this table are set at the state level, but they are not always the highest rate an employer must pay. Many cities and counties have adopted their own minimum wage ordinances that require employers within their borders to pay more than the state rate. When a local rate exceeds the state rate, the higher local rate controls for employees working in that jurisdiction. This table does not show those local variations, so a worker or employer in a city or county with its own wage floor cannot rely on this page alone to determine the correct rate. To find out whether a local minimum wage applies, check the ordinance of the city or county where the work is performed. Where both a state and a local minimum wage exist, the employer must pay the higher of the two. The figures on this page therefore represent only the state-level floor; local requirements may be substantially higher.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage. Such differential provisions are not displayed in this table.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
When a state's premium pay footnote is shown in this table, the standard overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay. This is the rate most states use when an employee works more than the designated weekly or daily hours shown in the footnote. A few states, however, specify a different overtime multiplier for particular circumstances or industries, and those variations are not always captured in the footnote. The overtime premium is calculated on top of the employee's regular rate, not on top of the minimum wage, so a worker whose regular rate is already above the minimum wage still receives the overtime premium on their actual regular rate. The regular rate includes all earnings for the workweek, not just the hourly wage. When both a daily and a weekly premium pay threshold apply, the employer must pay the premium for any hours that exceed either threshold, whichever is more favorable to the employee.
Footnote 1 The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor maintains this table and works to keep the information accurate, but the figures shown here are not the official word on what any particular employer owes. State minimum wage rates change on different schedules, and some states adjust their rates automatically based on inflation formulas that take effect at various points during the year. For the authoritative current rate, individuals should consult the relevant state labor office in the state where the work is performed. That office can confirm whether the rate has changed since this table was last updated, explain any special provisions such as subminimum rates for minors or students, and advise on whether a local ordinance applies. Workers who believe they have been paid below the correct rate can also file a complaint with the state labor office or with the federal Wage and Hour Division. Contact information for state labor offices is available through the Department of Labor's state labor offices directory.
The Wage and Hour Division tries to ensure that the information on this page is accurate, but individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
The $17.13 on this page is not a figure the Washington legislature set and left. State law adjusts the minimum wage annually by a formula, so the rate changes at the start of the year without a new bill each time, and the number you were paid last year is not evidence of what you are owed now. Two things follow for anyone checking a payslip. The rate is dated: a payslip covering the changeover carries hours at both rates, and an employer paying the old figure after the change is underpaying even though the figure was right a week earlier. And the next rate is normally announced before it takes effect, so it can be checked against the Washington labour department rather than guessed at from inflation.
Premium pay not applicable to employees who request compensating time off in lieu of premium pay. The minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
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.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
- Hourly
Washington Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $17.13
Other years
Every Washington Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state