On January 1, 2027, Washington's minimum wage rises from $17.13 to $17.73 per hour, the highest state minimum among the ten states we track. Washington does not allow a tip credit, so servers and bartenders must also be paid at least $17.73 an hour before tips. In Seattle, the minimum wage is $22.14 from the same date.
| Rate | 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide minimum wage | $17.13 | $17.73 | +$0.60 |
| Servers, bartenders and other tipped staff (no tip credit) | $17.13 | $17.73 | +$0.60 |
| Workers aged 14–15 (85% of minimum) | — | $15.07 | — |
Tips and service charges cannot be counted toward the minimum wage in Washington. They are paid on top of the hourly rate.
Seattle: $22.14 per hour from January 1, 2027, for employers of all sizes. Tips cannot count toward it. Seattle's rate for workers under 16 is still being confirmed with the Seattle Office of Labor Standards, so we do not show it here yet.
SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County also set their own minimum wages above the state rate. We have not verified their 2027 amounts yet; check your city's official site.
Enter only the staff who are paid below the new 2027 rate today. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Assumes 52 weeks a year. Because Washington has no tip credit, tipped staff get the full increase, the same as everyone else at the minimum. Groups without a current hourly rate are left out.
A restaurant outside Seattle with 10 servers working 25 hours a week and 5 kitchen staff working 30 hours a week, all earning $17.13 today:
At $80,000 in monthly sales, that is about 1.4% of sales.
Paying servers less because they earn tips. Washington does not allow a tip credit. Servers get the full $17.73.
Counting service charges as wages. Service charges cannot be used to meet the minimum wage either.
Using the state rate inside Seattle. Seattle's $22.14 applies to employers of every size.
Yes. It rises from $17.13 to $17.73 per hour on January 1, 2027.
There is no separate tipped minimum wage. Tips and service charges cannot count toward the minimum wage, so tipped employees must be paid at least $17.73 per hour, with tips on top.
Under state law, yes: 85% of the minimum wage, which is $15.07 per hour from January 1, 2027. Seattle's under-16 rate is still being confirmed, so check with the Seattle Office of Labor Standards.
$22.14 per hour from January 1, 2027, for employers of all sizes. Tips cannot count toward it.
Yes. SeaTac, Tukwila, Renton, Bellingham, Everett, Burien and unincorporated King County set their own. We have not verified their 2027 amounts yet.
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Last verified November 9, 2026.