- The Burien minimum wage is $21.78 an hour (large employers (501 or more employees)), effective .
- That is $4.65 above the Washington state rate of $17.13 and $14.53 above the federal $7.25.
- 3 tiers apply: large employers (501 or more employees) $21.78; medium employers (16-500 employees) $20.78; small employers (15 or fewer employees) $19.28.
- The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
- Coverage: All Burien employers, in three size tiers (franchisees aggregated with their network).
Rates and tiers
| Tier | Rate | Since |
|---|---|---|
| large employers (501 or more employees) | $21.78 | |
| medium employers (16-500 employees) | $20.78 | |
| small employers (15 or fewer employees) | $19.28 |
Indexing
Yes
CPI-W, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, 12 months ending August adjusts 01-01 announced City of Burien by Oct 15
Tipped
Same as minimum
Tips and service charges are in addition to and may not count toward the minimum wage (BMC 5.16); No tip credit: Washington law (RCW 49.46.020(3), restated on the L&I page) bars counting tips or...
Ordinance
Burien Municipal Code ch. 5.16, Fair Labor Standards Ordinance (voter initiative, Feb 2025, effective 2025-03-23);...
Scheduled increases
January 1, 20273 jurisdictions
CityTBA
Burien, WAlarge employers · ordinance · Prior year's rate + CPI-W (12 months ending August); published by Oct 15.
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
CityTBA
Burien, WAmedium employers · ordinance · Equal to the 2027 large-employer rate (phase-in complete).
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
CityTBA
Burien, WAsmall employers · ordinance · 2027 large-employer rate minus $2.00; gap then shrinks $0.50/yr.
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
City page (updated 2026-06-10): 2025 rates $21.10/$19.10/$18.10; 2026 rates re-set 2026-06-04 to 2025 + 3.2% CPI-W after council action 2026-05-18. Former council ordinance BMC 5.15 repealed 2026-05-27.
Common questions
What is the Burien minimum wage?
$21.78 an hour for large employers (501 or more employees), effective January 1, 2026.
Is the Burien minimum wage higher than the Washington state minimum wage?
Yes, by $4.65: $21.78 versus $17.13.
When does the Burien minimum wage change next?
On January 1, 2027, by an indexed amount to be announced.
Sources
- https://www.burienwa.gov/city_hall/laws_regulations/minimum_wage official
- https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/local-minimum-wage-rates official
- https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/
Checked 2026-09-02; researcher confidence 0.80.