Eileen Hannigan contributed to this post
New year, new minimum wage rates for many states across the country, including Washington.
Effective January 1, 2019, the minimum wage rate in Washington increased from $11.50 to $12.00 per hour. Employers can pay employees under 16 years old 85% of the minimum wage ($10.20 per hour). There is no separate wage for tipped employees.
The cities of Seattle, SeaTac, and Tacoma have their own minimum wage rates. See the below chart for specific rates:
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, and has not increased since July 2009.The 2016 ballot measure to increase minimum wage rates in Washington in 2019 also states that the rate will be raised again to $13.50 by 2020.
Like certain localities (cities or counties – see above chart), some companies, such as Amazon, have decided to set a minimum wage for their employees that is at a higher level than federal and state rates.