Free Washington Minimum Wage Calculator 2027 — $17.73/Hour

How to use

1. Choose the statewide 2027 rate ($17.73), the Seattle rate ($22.14), the youth rate ($15.07), the 2026 rate ($17.13) for comparison, or a custom hourly rate.
2. Enter your hours per week — 40 is full-time.
3. Click Calculate My Minimum Wage to see your weekly, monthly and annual gross pay, the overtime rate, and the difference against 2026.
4. Working in Seattle or another city with its own rate? Pick the city rate — your employer must pay the highest rate that applies where you work.

How it works

Washington's minimum wage is set by a formula, not by a vote. State law — RCW 49.46.020 — requires the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to adjust the rate every year for the cost of living, using the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. L&I compares the CPI-W from August of the previous year to August of the current year, announces the new rate on 30 September, and it takes effect on 1 January. For 2027 the August-to-August CPI-W rise was 3.5%, so the rate went from $17.13 to $17.73 an hour — a 60-cent rise, announced in L&I news release 26-17 on 30 September 2026. Because the figure follows inflation mechanically, there is no political negotiation and no surprise: the 2028 rate will be announced the same way on 30 September 2027.

At $17.73, Washington keeps the highest statewide minimum wage in the United States — $10.48 an hour above the federal minimum of $7.25, which has not changed since 2009. The gap matters more than it looks, because Washington also has no tip credit: employers may not count tips or service charges towards the minimum wage, so a tipped worker's $17.73 is paid in full as wages, with tips on top. In most other states, tipped workers can legally be paid a lower cash wage with tips making up the difference. Washington also gives workers at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.

The statewide rate is a floor, not a ceiling. Seattle's minimum wage is $22.14 an hour in 2027, and L&I lists SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County among the places with higher local rates. Employers must pay the highest rate that applies where the work is actually done — so a worker in Seattle earns the Seattle rate, not the state rate. Use the Seattle option in the widget above to see the difference: at 40 hours a week, Seattle pays $885.60 a week against $709.20 statewide, a gap of $176.40 a week or about $9,173 a year. Young workers have their own rate: 14 and 15 year olds may be paid 85% of the minimum, $15.07 an hour in 2027 — 16 and 17 year olds must be paid the full rate. The new rate also lifts the overtime-exemption salary threshold: from 1 January 2027, large employers (51 or more employees) must pay qualifying executive, administrative, professional and certain computer employees at least $1,773 a week ($92,196 a year) to treat them as exempt from overtime. If you are comparing states, our California paycheck calculator and Texas paycheck calculator show what the same hours are worth elsewhere.

Worked example

Washington minimum wage 2026 vs 2027

Sources: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, news release 26-17 (30 September 2026) and L&I minimum wage pages (lni.wa.gov); Revised Code of Washington 49.46.020; US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-W; City of Seattle Office of Labor Standards (Seattle $22.14 for 2027); University of Washington HR compensation notice (30 September 2026). Gross pay only — Washington has no state income tax; federal tax and deductions are not included.

Frequently asked questions

What is Washington state's minimum wage in 2027?

From 1 January 2027, Washington's minimum wage is $17.73 an hour for most workers. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced the rate on 30 September 2026. It is the highest statewide minimum wage in the United States, $10.48 above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.

How much is the Washington minimum wage increase for 2027?

The rate rises by 60 cents an hour, from $17.13 in 2026 to $17.73 in 2027 — a 3.5% increase. For a full-time worker (40 hours a week), that is $24 more a week, about $104 more a month and $1,248.00 more a year. The rise follows the August-to-August change in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

What is Washington's minimum wage for 14 and 15 year olds in 2027?

Workers aged 14 and 15 may be paid 85% of the state minimum wage: $15.07 an hour from 1 January 2027 (85% of $17.73). That is up from $14.56 in 2026. The 85% youth rate applies only to 14 and 15 year olds — 16 and 17 year olds must be paid the full $17.73.

Is Seattle's minimum wage higher than Washington state's in 2027?

Yes. Seattle's minimum wage will be $22.14 an hour in 2027, well above the $17.73 state rate. Several other Washington cities also set higher local rates, including SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County. Employers must pay the highest rate that applies where the work is done — the local rate where one exists, otherwise the state rate.

How is Washington's minimum wage set each year?

State law (RCW 49.46.020) requires the Department of Labor & Industries to adjust the minimum wage every year for the cost of living, using the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI-W index. L&I compares the CPI-W from August of the previous year to August of the current year, announces the new rate on 30 September, and it takes effect on 1 January. There is no vote and no political negotiation — the figure follows inflation mechanically.

Does Washington allow a tip credit against the minimum wage?

No. Washington employers may not count tips or service charges towards the minimum wage — the full $17.73 an hour must be paid as wages, and all tips belong to the worker on top. That makes Washington one of the few states with no tip credit at all, which is why its effective pay floor for tipped workers is the highest in the country.

What is the overtime rate at Washington's 2027 minimum wage?

Overtime is 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours in a week: $26.60 an hour at the 2027 minimum wage ($17.73 × 1.5 = $26.595, rounded to $26.60). Washington also sets a salary threshold for overtime-exempt executive, administrative and professional employees: from 1 January 2027, large employers (51 or more employees) must pay at least $1,773 a week ($92,196 a year) for the exemption to apply.

What official sources are the 2027 Washington minimum wage figures based on?

The $17.73 rate was announced by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) on 30 September 2026 in news release 26-17, and is published on L&I's minimum wage pages (lni.wa.gov). The rate is set under Revised Code of Washington 49.46.020, using the federal CPI-W index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Seattle's $22.14 rate is confirmed by the City of Seattle Office of Labor Standards.

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