(The Center Square) – Washington’s minimum wage – already the highest state-level minimum wage in the nation – will be going up 38 cents next year. That means minimum wage workers will get a raise, but employers will also pay more in 2025.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, or L&I, recently announced the state’s minimum wage will rise to $16.66 an hour next year, a 2.35% increase over the current minimum wage of $16.28. The new rate will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
State law directs L&I to calculate the minimum wage for the next year using the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This index measures the cost of living for households where more than half of income comes from clerical or wage occupations.
Housing and food costs have gone up over the past 12 months, according to L&I, leading to an increase in the CPI-W.
Local jurisdictions within Washington, including cities, can set minimum wages higher than the state rate, and Seattle, SeaTac and Tukwila, among others, have done so.