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SUBJECTS › PERSONNEL › Minimum Wage
Reviewed 11/07

Minimum Wage

While municipal employers have great discretion in setting the salaries and other compensation for their employees, there are some guidelines that must be followed. Both federal and state laws provide that employees, with a few minor exceptions, must be paid a minimum wage. The federal minimum wage was increased to $5.85, effective July 24, 2007. The Washington minimum wage is revised annually, with the increase calculated according to the change in the federal "CPI-W." Currently the state minimum wage (for 2007) is $7.63.  Beginning January 1, 2008, the minimum wage will be increased by 44 cents to $8.07.

For information on the state minimum wage, including a link to the required poster and a history of the minimum wage, see the web page Minimum Wages, provided by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

For information regarding the federal minimum wage, go to the web page Minimum Wage prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor. Note: at present, since the state minimum wage exceeds the minimum wage set at the national level, the state minimum wage is the effective minimum level of pay in Washington.

Some local governments have concluded that workers who work for employers who contract with the local government should be paid at a level higher than that set by either the federal or state government, a so-called "Living Wage." Since a living wage is established by a local government, there is no standard manner set for determining the amount of the wage; however, in most instances the wage is set according to the federal poverty guidelines for a specific family size. For additional information on living wage provisions, see:

  • Living Wage, prepared by the Economic Policy Institute. This website provides basic information about the living wage and includes a table providing information on the communities that have adopted such a requirement.
  • Living Wage Resource Center, prepared by ACORN, The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

To our knowledge, only one city, Bellingham, has adopted a living wage ordinance in Washington. See Bellingham Municipal Code Ch. 14.18.