Minimum Wage/Washington
Washington Minimum Wage 2026
The statewide rate, tipped rules, the exempt salary threshold, and the local minimums that exceed it. Every figure below is checked against primary sources.
| Tipped minimum | No tip credit; tipped employees receive the full $17.13 / hour |
|---|---|
| Exempt salary threshold | $80,168.40 / year ($1,541.70/wk; 2.25× state minimum) |
How Washington’s exempt salary threshold compares across all six states
Local rates above the state minimum
Hourly minimums compared
Hourly minimum wage as verified November 1, 2026. Bars start at $0.
SeaTac, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien, and unincorporated King County set their own higher minimums.
Deep dive: Seattle
Rate record
What has taken effect, what we have checked, and what is coming next.
January 1, 2026
State minimum in effect: $17.13 / hour
November 1, 2026
Every figure on this page re-verified against the primary sources below.Latest check
Sep 30, 2026
L&I announces the 2027 rate: $17.73 / hour, up 3.5 percent (read against news release 26-17 on October 1, 2026).
Jan 1, 2027
The 2027 rate, $17.73 / hour, takes effect; the youth minimum rises to $15.07.
Questions employers ask
How is Seattle's minimum wage different from Washington state's in 2026?
Washington's statewide minimum is $17.13 per hour; Seattle requires $21.30 for employers of every size. Tukwila ($21.65) is currently the state's highest local rate.
Does Washington allow a tip credit?
No. Tipped employees must receive the full applicable minimum wage; state or local; before tips.
What is the exempt salary threshold in Washington in 2026?
$80,168.40 per year ($1,541.70 per week); 2.25 times the state minimum wage, applying to employers of all sizes in 2026.
What is Washington's minimum wage in 2027?
$17.73 per hour, effective January 1, 2027, a 3.5 percent increase over the 2026 rate of $17.13. L&I announced it on September 30, 2026 under the state's formula, which compares the federal CPI-W from August of the previous year to August of the current year. The youth minimum for 14- and 15-year-olds rises to $15.07 per hour. The 2028 rate will be announced around September 30, 2027.
What is Washington's exempt salary threshold for 2027?
From January 1, 2027, $1,595.70 per week ($82,976.40 per year) for employers with 1 to 50 employees, 2.25 times the 2027 minimum wage of $17.73, and $1,773.00 per week ($92,196.00 per year) for employers with 51 or more employees, 2.5 times. Exempt computer professionals paid by the hour must receive $62.06 per hour in 2027 at every employer size. L&I says the small-employer multiplier is not scheduled to reach 2.5 until 2028.
Sources and caveats
Caveat: The $126,858.83 figure sometimes cited for Washington is the state's non-compete enforceability threshold, not the overtime exempt salary threshold. The 2027 figures come from L&I's September 30, 2026 announcement (news release 26-17) and the salary threshold implementation schedule (form F700-207-000, downloadable from the L&I minimum-wage page), both read on October 1, 2026.
Get notified when Washington changes its rate
State employment law changes, in plain English, verified against primary sources.
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