Washington minimum wage in 2026 (and 2027)

Local rates: Seattle, King County and six more cities

Washington lets cities and counties set higher minimum wages, and you pay the highest rate for the place the work is done. These are confirmed on each city or county's own page or the state Business Licensing Service:

• Seattle: $21.30 for all employer sizes, $22.14 from January 1, 2027.
• Burien: $21.78 for employers with more than 500 employees, with lower rates for medium and small employers.
• Tukwila: $21.65 for employers with 15 or more employees worldwide or more than $2 million in Tukwila revenue.
• Renton: $21.57 for large and mid-size employers; small employers pay the state rate.
• Unincorporated King County: $20.82 for employers with 500 or more employees, with lower tiers for smaller ones.
• Everett: $20.77 for employers with 500 or more employees.
• SeaTac: $20.17 for hospitality and transportation employers only.
• Bellingham: $19.13.

The SeaTac and Bellingham figures come from the state Business Licensing Service, which gives no effective date for them.

Most of these tie the rate to employer size or industry, so two businesses on the same street can owe different minimums. Count employees the way the ordinance does, which is often worldwide headcount, not just local staff.

City and county minimum wages in Washington

Tips, youth workers and the 2027 rate

Washington does not allow a tip credit. Tipped workers earn at least $17.13 an hour in cash (or the local rate), and tips are on top. For a restaurant moving from Idaho, where the tipped cash wage is $3.35, the labor budget per server hour is more than five times higher.

On January 1, 2027, the state rate rises $0.60 to $17.73, and workers aged 14 and 15 may be paid $15.07. For a full-time worker, the 2027 rate is $36,878.40 a year.

Washington pay per week, month and year

Weekly pay at $17.13 is $685.20, monthly $2,969.20 and yearly $35,630.40 (2,080 hours). In Seattle, $21.30 is $44,304.00 a year. Past 40 hours a week, time and a half applies: $25.70 an hour at the state minimum.

What employers pay on top of $17.13

Washington has no state income tax, but it has payroll programs of its own:

• FICA: 7.65% of $35,630.40 = $2,725.73.
• FUTA: 0.6% of the first $7,000 = $42.00.
• State unemployment: new employers pay their industry's average rate, not a flat rate, on wages up to $78,200. That base is above a full-time minimum wage salary, so all $35,630.40 is taxable. Ask the Employment Security Department for your industry rate.
• Paid Family and Medical Leave: 1.13% of wages in total, split 28.57% employer and 71.43% employee. Employers with fewer than 50 employees may skip the employer share. For a larger employer, the share on this worker is $115.03 (1.13% x 28.57% x $35,630.40).
• WA Cares Fund: 0.58% of wages, paid by the employee.

Before unemployment tax and workers comp, a small employer pays $2,767.73 on top of wages, for $38,398.13 all in. Workers comp is bought from the state fund through L&I. The Washington payroll tax guide covers registration.

Payroll for Washington employers

Between local rates that depend on headcount, PFML and WA Cares deductions, and an industry-based unemployment rate, payroll software that tracks work location and state deductions saves a lot of manual checking. Gusto Simple's published price is $49 a month plus $6 per worker (checked October 16, 2026). Rankings with alternatives are in our list of the best payroll software and see payroll costs by team size.

Neighbors: Oregon pays $15.55 standard and $16.80 in the Portland metro, and California is $16.90. Run your own figures in the employee cost calculator.