- The Seattle minimum wage is $21.30 an hour (all employers (single rate since 2025-01-01)), effective .
- That is $4.17 above the Washington state rate of $17.13 and $14.05 above the federal $7.25.
- The next change is : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
- Coverage: Employees working in Seattle city limits for any employer, regardless of size (large/small schedules merged 2025-01-01).
Rates and tiers
| Tier | Rate | Since |
|---|---|---|
| all employers (single rate since 2025-01-01) | $21.30 |
Indexing
Yes
CPI-W, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area adjusts 01-01 announced Seattle Office of Labor Standards, by fall of the prior year
Tipped
Same as minimum
No tip credit: Washington law (RCW 49.46.020(3), restated on the L&I page) bars counting tips or service charges toward the minimum wage; local ordinances repeat this. Since 2025-01-01 small...
Ordinance
Seattle Municipal Code ch. 14.19 (Minimum Wage and Minimum Compensation Rates); rules SHRR ch. 90
Scheduled increases
January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CityTBA
Seattle, WAall employers · indexed-unannounced · OLS announces the next year's rate in the fall (CPI-W Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue).
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
2025 rate was $20.76. Corroborated by the WA L&I local-rates page ($21.30).
Common questions
What is the Seattle minimum wage?
$21.30 an hour for all employers (single rate since 2025-01-01), effective January 1, 2026.
Is the Seattle minimum wage higher than the Washington state minimum wage?
Yes, by $4.17: $21.30 versus $17.13.
When does the Seattle minimum wage change next?
On January 1, 2027, by an indexed amount to be announced.
Sources
- https://www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/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 0.97.