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The minimum wage in Seattle is jumping from $17.27 to $18.69 per hour starting on January 1, 2023, according to city officials.
The Seattle office of Labor Standards (OLS) announced the increase Tuesday morning (October 4), which will apply to employees within the city limits regardless of immigration status.
The wage bump is required by the city's Minimum Wage Ordinance and reflects the Consumer Price Index inflation rate for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area. That's an increase of 8.22% over the 2022 pay rate.
Large employers, which are defined by 501 employees or more, will have to pay their workers $18.69 per hour. Things are different for small employers, who have 500 or fewer employees. They have to pay $18.69 if workers don't make $2.19 per hour in tips or get $2.19 per hour in medical benefits.
The minimum wage for Washington state will also increase in January, rising to $15.74 per hour. State laws tie the minimum wage to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. 2022 has seen record levels of inflation across the country, affecting the cost of food, housing, medical care, gasoline, and other aspects of life.
You can read more about this on OLS' website.