OLYMPIA — Washington’s minimum wage will increase to $17.13 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026 — a 2.8% bump driven by inflation, the Department of Labor and Industries announced Tuesday. The current $16.66 rate is already the highest in the country, just ahead of California and parts of New York at $16.50. The federal minimum wage remains $7.25.
Several Washington cities, including Seattle, Bellingham and Tukwila, already enforce higher local minimum wages. Lynnwood advocates are pushing a ballot initiative to raise the city’s rate to $20.24.
The state is also raising the salary threshold for overtime-exempt workers. By 2026, salaried employees must earn at least $80,168 annually — 2.25 times the minimum wage — to qualify for exemption. That threshold will increase to $93,392 by 2028…