Washington
For Washington, type is state; worker type is standard; hourly rate ($) is 17.13; indexing method is Annual indexed increases began Jan. 1, 2020. (2016 ballot measure), recorded from its source on 2026-08-12.
- Jurisdiction
- Washington verified
- Type
- state
- Parent state
- Washington verified
- Worker type
- standard
- Hourly rate ($)
- 17.13 verified
- Indexing method
- Annual indexed increases began Jan. 1, 2020. (2016 ballot measure) verified
- Effective date
- 2026-01-01 per lni.wa.gov
- Tip credit allowed
- no per lni.wa.gov
What the source says
Washington | $17.13 | | Annual indexed increases began Jan. 1, 2020. (2016 ballot measure)
— ncsl.org, retrieved 2026-08-12
Sources disagree
More than one authority states this, and they do not state the same thing. Both are reproduced with the source each came from — deciding between them is yours, not ours.
Indexing method
ncsl.org says indexing method is Annual indexed increases began Jan. 1, 2020. (2016 ballot measure), as of 2026-08-12.
Washington | $17.13 | | Annual indexed increases began Jan. 1, 2020. (2016 ballot measure)
https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages
lni.wa.gov says indexing method is cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), as of 2026-08-12.
The 2026 minimum wage in the state of Washington is $17.13 per hour . <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/_docs/2026MinimumWageAnnouncementEnglish.pdf> 2026 minimum wage announcement poster . (English) <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/_docs/2026MinimumWageAnnouncementSpanish.pdf> 2026 minimum wage announcement poster . (Español) <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/_docs/2026MinimumWageAnnouncementMultipleLanguages.pdf> 2026 minimum wage announcement in multiple languages The 2025 minimum wage in the state of Washington was $16.66 per hour. <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/_docs/2025MinimumWageAnnouncementEnglish.pdf> 2025 minimum wage announcement poster . (English) <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/_docs/2025MinimumWageAnnouncementSpanish.pdf> 2025 minimum wage announcement poster . (Español) <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/_docs/2025Minimumwageannouncementmultiplelanguages.pdf> 2025 minimum wage announcement in multiple languages Some local jurisdictions have higher minimum wage rates and different labor rules than Washington State. Visit <https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/local-minimum-wage-rates> Local Minimum Wage Rates for information about minimum wage rates in other local jurisdictions. Who Qualifies for Minimum Wage? Most agricultural and non-agricultural jobs qualify for the minimum wage. Employers must pay employees the minimum wage for all hours worked as defined by state law. Hours worked includes opening and closing a business, required trainings, and meetings. Employers can also pay some workers less than the state minimum wage, including: Minors 14 to 15 years old (no less than 85% of minimum wage). Workers who meet certain criteria. Jobs that are exempt from the Minimum Wage Act. Future Minimum Wage Beginning mid-September each year, L&I will make a cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage based on the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
Sources
- ncsl.orghttps://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages
- lni.wa.govhttps://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/