Minimum Wage
Beginning on January 1, 2027, the minimum wage in Washington state will be $17.73 per hour, up 60 cents from 2026. The minimum wage for 14-and 15-year-old workers will be $15.07 an hour, up 51 cents from 2026. In addition to the statewide minimum, various cities and counties have increased minimum wages.
| City or County | 2027 Minimum Wage | Notes |
| Seattle | $22.14 per hour | |
| SeaTac | $21.47 per hour (only Hospitality and Transportation workers) | |
| Tukwila | $22.45 per hour | |
| Renton | Beginning January 1, 2027, the minimum wage for large and midsize employers will increase to $22.28 up 71 cents from 2026. | Large Employer -More than 500 employees worldwide and certain franchises
Mid-Size Employer – At least 15 but no more than 500 employees worldwide or over $2 million of annual gross revenue in Renton
Employers that do not fall within the Large or Mid-Size Employer described above are not covered by the new minimum wage rates but must continue to meet the State of Washington minimum wage requirements. |
| Everett | Large employers: $21.52 per hour
Other covered employers: $20.52 per hour from January 1 – June 30, 2027, and $21.52 per hour from July 1 – December 31, 2027 |
Large employers are those with 500+ employees; Other Covered Employers are those with 15-499 employees OR $2M+ annual revenue in Everett |
| Bellingham | $19.73 per hour | The city minimum wage will be set at $2.00 above the applicable Washington State minimum wage effective on January 1 every year. |
| Burien | 2027 Burien large employer minimum wage hourly rate: $22.49 per hour
2027 and beyond Burien medium employer minimum wage hourly rate: Equal to the then-current large employer rate
2027 Burien small employer minimum wage hourly rate: $20.49 per hour |
A large employer has more than 500 employees, regardless of where they are employed, including franchises.
A mid-sized employer employs 16-500 employees, regardless of where they are employed, including franchises.
Beginning January 31, 2027, employers must certify their compliance with BMC Chapter 5.16 annually. |
| King County (unincorporated) | $21.57 per hour | Exception: Employers with 15 or fewer employees and an annual gross revenue of less than $2 million can pay $2.00 less, or $19.57 per hour. |
Exempt Employees
The minimum annual salary threshold for exempt employees statewide will also rise on January 1, 2027. For small employers (up to 50 employees) the minimum annual salary multiplier will stay 2.25 times the minimum wage, or $82,976.40 a year. For large employers (more than 50 employees) the multiplier will increase to 2.5 times the minimum wage, or $92,196.00 a year.
Minimum pay for Rideshare drivers
The minimum pay for rideshare drivers in Washington state will increase on January 1, 2027, as follows:
Noncompete agreements
Effective June 30, 2027, noncompetition agreements will be unenforceable in the State of Washington. Between January and June 2027, the annual salary threshold for employees will be $131,326.59 for an employer to enforce a noncompetition agreement. This threshold for independent contractors from January through June 2027 will be $328,316.49. Employers with existing noncompetition agreements for current or former (if still within the enforcement period as of July 1, 2027) employees or independent contractors, must send a written notice to the employee or former employee or independent contractor stating that the noncompetition clause is void and unenforceable by October 1, 2027.
Job Protection for Employees on Paid Family and Medical Leave
Beginning on January 1, 2027, employers with 15 or more employees must provide job protection benefits to employees on paid family or medical leave under Washington law. Currently the threshold is 25 employees, the threshold will drop to 8 employees in 2028 where it will remain.
Other Updates
On January 1, 2027, the Washington Healthy Starts Act will apply to all employers regardless of size. The Healthy Starts Act requires certain pregnancy and postpartum related accommodations. The Fair Chance Act, which regulates background check and prescreening for applicants will apply to all employers.
If you have questions about how to comply with these updates to the law in 2027 for your business, the employment team at Lasher is here to help.
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