What is the current Washington State minimum wage?

Washington State's minimum wage is $16.66 per hour, effective January 1, 2025. Washington ties its rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban wage earners in the Seattle metropolitan area under RCW 49.46.020, so the rate is recalculated by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) each year and takes effect on January 1. The rate has risen steadily in recent years: $15.74/hr in 2023, $16.28/hr in 2024, and $16.66/hr in 2025. Washington does not allow a sub-minimum tip credit wage — all employees, including tipped workers, must receive the full state minimum. Workers in Seattle and SeaTac may be entitled to higher local rates under city ordinances.

How does Washington''s minimum wage compare to the federal minimum wage?

The federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is $7.25 per hour, unchanged since July 2009. Washington's $16.66/hr is $9.41 per hour above the federal floor — more than double. When a state minimum wage exceeds the federal rate, employers in that state must pay the higher state rate. At a standard 40-hour week over 52 weeks, the gap between Washington's minimum and the federal minimum translates to approximately $19,572 more in annual gross pay. This premium is one of the largest statewide differentials in the country, reflecting Washington's high cost of living and its CPI-linked adjustment mechanism.

How is overtime calculated in Washington State?

Washington State follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime threshold: non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek. The 40-hour threshold applies on a per-workweek basis, not a per-day or bi-weekly basis. For example, a worker at Washington's $16.66/hr minimum who clocks 45 hours in a week earns 40 hours at $16.66 and 5 hours at $24.99 (1.5 x $16.66), giving a weekly gross of $791.35. Washington also has state-level overtime rules for specific sectors — notably, agricultural workers gained overtime protections through SHB 1523, phased in from 2022 to 2024.

Does Seattle have a higher minimum wage than the rest of Washington?

Yes. Seattle maintains its own local minimum wage ordinance, which is higher than the statewide floor. For 2025, the Seattle rate is $20.76/hr for large employers (500 or more employees worldwide) and $17.25/hr for small employers (fewer than 500 employees). SeaTac also operates a separate local ordinance that sets the rate at $21.10/hr for certain hotel, transportation, and related workers in 2025. Employers operating in these cities must pay the applicable local rate, which always supersedes the state minimum when it is higher. This calculator defaults to the statewide $16.66/hr rate — workers in Seattle or SeaTac should use the relevant local figure.

Are tipped workers entitled to the full Washington minimum wage?

Yes. Washington State does not permit a sub-minimum "tip credit" wage for tipped employees. Unlike the federal FLSA, which allows employers to pay tipped workers a direct cash wage as low as $2.13/hr provided tips bring total pay to $7.25/hr, Washington law requires every employee to receive the full $16.66/hr regardless of tips received. Tips are considered the employee's own earnings on top of their regular wage. This policy makes Washington one of a handful of states — along with California, Oregon, and Alaska — that prohibit the federal tip credit arrangement entirely.

How is monthly gross pay calculated in this tool?

The calculator multiplies your weekly gross pay by 52 (the number of weeks in a year) and then divides by 12 to produce the monthly figure. This method gives a consistent average that accounts for the fact that months contain different numbers of weeks. For example, at Washington's minimum wage of $16.66/hr for a standard 40-hour week: weekly gross = $666.40, annual gross = $34,652.80 ($666.40 x 52), monthly gross = $2,887.73 ($34,652.80 / 12). All figures are gross earnings before federal income tax, Washington State income tax (Washington has none), Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), or any other deductions.

Washington State Minimum Wage Calculator

The Washington State minimum wage calculator gives you instant gross pay figures for any combination of hourly rate and weekly hours. It shows regular pay, overtime at 1.5x for hours beyond 40, and how Washington’s generous rate stacks up against the federal $7.25/hr floor. Everything runs entirely in your browser — no numbers are ever sent to a server.

How it works

Enter your hourly wage and your hours worked per week. The calculator splits hours into regular time (up to 40 hours) and overtime (any hours above 40), then applies the FLSA overtime rule of 1.5x for the overtime portion. Results update live as you type.

Weekly gross = (regular hours x hourly rate) + (overtime hours x hourly rate x 1.5)

Monthly gross = weekly gross x 52 / 12

Annual gross = weekly gross x 52

Washington uses this same weekly overtime threshold under both the federal FLSA and WAC 296-128-012. There is no daily overtime rule for most private-sector employees.

Washington State minimum wage: current rate and history

Washington’s minimum wage is set by RCW 49.46.020 and adjusted annually each January 1 by the Department of Labor and Industries based on the CPI for urban wage earners in the Seattle metro area. The 2025 rate is $16.66 per hour.

Year	Washington minimum wage
2021	$13.69/hr
2022	$14.49/hr
2023	$15.74/hr
2024	$16.28/hr
2025	$16.66/hr

Washington does not allow a tip credit — tipped employees receive the full $16.66/hr.

Worked example

A barista in Tacoma, Washington, works 40 regular hours per week at the state minimum wage of $16.66/hr with no overtime:

Regular pay: 40h x $16.66 = $666.40 per week
Monthly gross: $666.40 x 52 / 12 = $2,887.73 per month
Annual gross: $666.40 x 52 = $34,652.80 per year

Now suppose the same worker picks up an extra shift and clocks 45 hours one week — 5 hours of overtime at 1.5x ($24.99/hr):

Regular pay: 40h x $16.66 = $666.40
Overtime pay: 5h x $24.99 = $124.95
Weekly gross with overtime: $791.35

Compared to a worker in a state that follows only the federal minimum ($7.25/hr) at 40 hours per week, the Washington worker earns approximately $19,572 more annually — the widest statewide minimum-wage premium in the continental United States.

Scenario	Weekly	Monthly	Annual
WA min ($16.66), 40h	$666.40	$2,887.73	$34,652.80
WA min ($16.66), 45h (5h OT)	$791.35	$3,426.52	$41,150.20
Federal min ($7.25), 40h	$290.00	$1,256.67	$15,080.00

All figures are gross pay before taxes and deductions. Washington State has no state income tax, so workers keep more of their gross earnings compared to most other states. Federal FICA (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) still applies.