Minimum Wage
Ordinance: SMC 14.19 Rules: SHRR Chapter 90
Seattle's Minimum Wage Ordinance went into effect on April 1, 2015.
The Minimum Wage Ordinance sets the minimum wage for employees working within city limits. The minimum wage increases every year on January 1. The minimum wage for the 2022 calendar year for large and small employers is set forth in the table below:
2022 Minimum Wage
For Large Employers (501 or more employees)
| $17.27/hour |
For Small Employers (500 or fewer employees)
Does employer pay $1.52/hour toward medical benefits and/or does employee earn $1.52/hour in tips?
| No | Yes |
| $17.27/hour | $15.75/hour |
2023 Minimum Wage
For Large Employers (501 or more employees)
| $18.69/hour |
For Small Employers (500 or fewer employees)
Does employer pay $2.19/hour toward medical benefits and/or does employee earn $2.19/hour in tips?
| No | Yes |
| $18.69/hour | $16.50/hour |
Every year Seattle's Minimum Wage increases on January 1. OLS announces the upcoming year's minimum wage increase by the fall of each year. For large employers, the minimum wage will increase to reflect the rate of inflation, based on the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton Area Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). For small employers, the minimum wage increase follows a schedule established by the minimum wage ordinance, as outlined in the multi-year chart.