2026 Washington State Minimum Wage Update

Quick Hits

• The Washington State minimum wage for nonexempt employees sixteen years of age and older will increase 2.8 percent over the 2025 rate to $17.13 per hour in 2026.
• In order to qualify as an overtime-exempt worker, an employee must be paid at least 2.25 times the minimum wage rate, or $80,168.40 annually, regardless of the size of the employer.
• Several localities, including Seattle, Bellingham, Burien, Everett, Renton, SeaTac, and Tukwila, as well as unincorporated King County, will also increase their minimum wage rates in 2026.

Each year, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) announces a cost-of-living adjustment to the state minimum wage rate based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

The 2026 minimum wage rate represents a 2.8 percent increase, year-over-year, reflecting a slight rise in the rate of inflation over the past year. For comparison, the minimum wage rate increased 8.6 percent in 2023, 3.4 percent in 2024, and 2.3 percent in 2025.

Overtime-Exempt Workers

Effective January 1, 2026, overtime-exempt workers must meet certain job duty requirements and receive a salary that is 2.25 times the annual state minimum wage rate, regardless of the employer’s size. That equates to $80,168.40 annually, or $1,541.70 weekly. The rate is set to increase annually, according to the salary threshold implementation schedule released by L&I.

Overtime-Exempt Computer Professionals Paid on an Hourly Basis

Washington employers that pay overtime-exempt computer professionals on an hourly instead of a salary basis must pay at least 3.5 times the hourly minimum wage rate. In 2026, Washington employers must pay such overtime-exempt computer professionals at least $59.96 per hour.

Local Minimum Wage Increases

Seattle

Effective January 1, 2026, the City of Seattle’s minimum wage will increase to $21.30 per hour, regardless of employer size. This constitutes a 2.6 percent increase over the 2025 minimum wage rate of $20.76.

Bellingham

The City of Bellingham’s local minimum wage is exactly $2.00 above the Washington State minimum wage rate. Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate in Bellingham will be $19.13 per hour. This constitutes a 2.5 percent increase over the 2025 minimum wage rate of $18.66 per hour.

Burien

Effective January 1, 2026, large employers in Burien, with 500 or more full-time employees, are required to pay a minimum hourly wage of $21.63 per hour. Midsize employers (i.e., those with 21–499 full-time employees) are required to pay a minimum hourly wage of $20.63 per hour. Employers with twenty or fewer full-time employees are exempt from the local wage ordinance but are still subject to Washington’s state minimum wage.

In February 2025, Burien voters passed a local initiative to change how the City of Burien determines its minimum wage, but that initiative is currently being challenged in court. Burien employers should be aware of this litigation, as it may ultimately change Burien’s minimum wage requirements.

Everett

The City of Everett has announced that, effective January 1, 2026, large employers (i.e., those with 500 or more employees) must pay a minimum hourly rate of $20.77 per hour, which is an increase of 2.6 percent over the 2025 rate of $20.24 per hour. Also, effective January 1, 2026, employers with 15–499 employees, or annual gross income of over $2 million in revenue in Everett, are required to pay an hourly minimum wage of $18.77, which is an increase of 2.9 percent over the 2025 minimum wage rate of $18.24 per hour.

In addition, effective July 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate for those employers with 15–499 employees or an annual gross income of over $2 million in revenue in Everett will increase again to $19.77 per hour.

Renton

The City of Renton increases its minimum wage rate annually based on the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area’s rate of inflation. Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate for “large” employers (i.e., those with 501 or more employees), will be $21.57 per hour. This is an increase of 3.2 percent over the 2025 minimum wage rate of $20.90 per hour. Also, effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate for “mid-sized” employers (i.e., those employers with 15–499 employees worldwide or over $2 million of annual gross revenue in Renton) will be $20.57 per hour. Employers with fewer than fifteen employees are not subject to the local ordinance, but they are still subject to Washington’s state minimum wage.

In addition, effective July 1, 2026, the minimum wage rate for mid-sized employers in Renton will increase again to $21.57 per hour, so that all employers in Renton with at least fifteen employees will be subject to the same minimum hourly wage rate.

SeaTac

The City of SeaTac has announced that, effective January 1, 2026, the local minimum hourly wage rate for employees in the hospitality and transportation industry will be $20.74 per hour. This is an increase of 2.8 percent over the 2025 minimum wage rate of $20.17 per hour.

Tukwila

The City of Tukwila announced that, effective January 1, 2026, the minimum hourly wage will be $21.65 per hour for all employers, regardless of size. This represents a 2.6 percent increase over the 2025 local minimum wage rate.

Unincorporated King County

Effective January 1, 2026, for employers in areas of unincorporated King County, the minimum hourly wage rates are increasing as follows:

• Employers with 500 or more employees must pay a minimum hourly wage rate of $20.82 per hour.
• Employers with 16–499 employees must pay a minimum hourly wage rate of $19.82 per hour.
• Employers with fifteen or fewer employees and annual gross revenue of $2 million or more globally must pay a minimum hourly wage rate of $19.82 per hour.
• Employers with fifteen or fewer employees and annual gross revenue of less than $2 million globally must pay a minimum hourly wage rate of $18.32 per hour.

Employers in King County can determine if they are in an unincorporated area subject to these minimum wage rates by using King County’s interactive map.

Looking Ahead

Ogletree Deakins’ Seattle office and Wage and Hour Practice Group will continue to monitor and report on Washington State wage and hour developments and will provide updates on the firm’s Washington and Wage and Hour blogs as additional information becomes available.

In addition, state and federal wage information—in addition to other wage and hour information—is also available in the firm’s Client Portal, which is available to all Ogletree Deakins clients. Client Portal subscribers receive detailed wage and hour law summaries (including those specific to Washington), template forms, state law maps, and other related materials, which are updated as the law changes.

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