Washington Minimum Wage in 2026: $17.13 an hour, $17.73 in 2027

Sources

The 12 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

1. Washington Department of Labor & Industries lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage“The 2026 minimum wage in the state of Washington is $17.13 per hour.” “The new minimum wage for 2027 will be $17.73 an hour for most workers.”
2. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped“Definition of Tipped Employee by Minimum Tips received (monthly unless otherwise specified) … State requires employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips … Washington $17.13”
3. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“Washington … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $17.13 … Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 … The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.”
4. Seattle Office of Labor Standards laborstandards.seattle.gov/2026/09/28/office-of-labor-standards-announces-seattles-2027-minimum-wage“Seattle’s current 2026 minimum wage is $21.30/hour.” “Starting January 1, 2027, businesses will pay employees $22.14 per hour.”
5. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Changes in Basic Minimum Wages in Non-Farm Employment Under State Law: Selected Years 1968 to 2024“Washington 1.60 1.60 1.60 2.20 - 2.30 2.30 2.30 2.30 … Washington 2.30 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.90 4.90 4.90 … Washington 6.50 6.72 6.90 7.01 7.16 7.35 7.63 … Washington 7.93 8.07 8.55 8.55 8.67 9.04 9.19 … Washington 9.32 9.47 9.47 11.00 11.50 13.50 … Washington 13.50 13.69 14.49 15.74 16.28” “Federal (FLSA) $1.15 & $1.60 $1.30 & $1.60 $1.60 $2.20 & $2.30 $2.90 $3.10 $3.35 … Federal (FLSA) $3.35 $3.80 $4.25 $4.25 $4.25 $4.75 $5.15 … Federal (FLSA) $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 5.15 … Federal (FLSA) 5.15 5.85 6.55 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25”
6. Internal Revenue Service IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide“For 2026, the social security tax rate is 6.2% (amount withheld) each for the employer and employee (12.4% total).”
7. Social Security Administration ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html“Tax rates under the HI program are 1.45 percent for employees and employers, each, and 2.90 percent for self-employed persons.”
8. Internal Revenue Service Topic no. 759, Form 940 – FUTA tax (IRS)“If you're entitled to the maximum 5.4% credit, the FUTA tax rate after credit is 0.6%.” “FUTA tax rate: The FUTA tax rate is 6.0%. The tax applies to the first $7,000 you paid to each employee as wages during the year.”
9. Washington Employment Security Department esd.wa.gov/employer-requirements/unemployment-taxes/how-we-determine-tax-rates“For 2026, you will pay 115% of the average rate for all businesses in your industry. Federal law sets the minimum rate at 1%.”
10. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“WA … $78,200”
11. Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/cost/Pages/premium-index-rates.aspx“Premium index rate: $1.25-$1.50 … State Index rate Percent of study median … 12 24 Washington 1.35 123%”
12. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MEPS-IC) meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/summ_tables/insr/state/series_2/2025/ic25_iia_f.pdf“Table II.C.1 Average total single premium (in dollars) per enrolled employee … Division and State Total … Washington 8,712 9,626 8,273 8,720 8,170 8,917 9,146 8,592” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … Washington 1,381 -- 1,661 * 1,132 1,250 1,607 1,088 1,462”