Current Minimum Wage
Virginia minimum wage$12.77since January 1, 2026↑ $13.75 on January 1, 2027

State minimum wage

Virginia minimum wage

$12.77 an hour as of September 2, 2026, rising to $13.75 on January 1, 2027. Tipped cash wage $2.13.

  • The Virginia minimum wage is $12.77 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • The next change is on : $13.75.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.13 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $10.64.
  • At $12.77 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $26,562 a year before taxes.

Tipped cash wage

$2.13
Tip credit up to $10.64

Youth / training

None
No youth sub-minimum rate. Va. Code 40.1-28.9 excludes from 'employee' anyone under 16, anyone under 18 employed by a parent/guardian, full-time students under 18 working fewer than 20 hours/week...

Next change

$13.75
· statute

Local rates

None found

Scheduled increases in Virginia

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
State$13.75
Virginiastatute · Va. Code 40.1-28.10 as amended by 2026 Acts cc. 350 and 351 (HB 1 / SB 1): from 2027-01-01 until 2028-01-01, the greater of $13.75 or the federal...
$13.75from $12.77 (+$0.98)
January 1, 20281 jurisdiction
State$15.00
Virginiastatute · From 2028-01-01 until 2029-01-01, the greater of $15.00 or the federal minimum wage. DOLI lists 2028: $15.00.
$15.00from $13.75 (+$1.25)
January 1, 20291 jurisdiction
StateTBA
Virginiaindexed-unannounced · From 2029-01-01 the 'adjusted state hourly minimum wage' resumes: by 2028-10-01 and annually thereafter the Commissioner sets the prior rate plus...
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. DOLI: 'For the period of January 1, 2026, until January 1, 2027, the established adjusted state hourly minimum wage is $12.77 per hour' (indexed from $12.41....

Tipped employees. DOLI poster: under the FLSA 'tip credit' provisions, tipped employees (more than $30/month in tips) may be paid $2.13/hour, but wages plus tips actually received must reach the Virginia minimum...

Indexing. Adjusted by U.S on January 1... ; announced Commissioner of Labor and Industry by October 1 preceding....

Recent history. $9.50 (2021-05-01), $11.00 (2022-01-01), $12.00 (2023-01-01), $12.41 (2025-01-01, indexed), $12.77 (2026-01-01, indexed). A 2025 bill to reach $15 was vetoed; the 2026 General Assembly enacted HB 1/SB 1 (cc. 350/351)...

DOL's table note ('adjusted annually based on a set formula') and NCSL's note ('Indexed annual increases will begin Oct. 1, 2026') predate the 2026 amendment; the statute text on law.lis.virginia.gov and DOLI's page are the controlling sources for 2027-2028....

Statute. Virginia Minimum Wage Act, Va.

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Virginia?

$12.77 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective January 1, 2026.

When does the Virginia minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $13.75.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Virginia?

$2.13 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $12.77.

Do any cities in Virginia have a higher minimum wage?

None were found in effect.

Sources

  1. https://doli.virginia.gov/programs/labor-law/payment-of-wage/ official
  2. https://doli.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-Virginia-Minimum-Wage-Poster.pdf official
  3. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title40.1/chapter3/section40.1-28.10/ official
  4. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  5. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
  6. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title40.1/chapter3/section40.1-28.9/ official

Checked 2026-09-02 against Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI), Division of Labor and Employment Law; researcher confidence 0.90.