Minimum wage in Burien, Washington

Burien sets its own minimum wage under its Burien Municipal Code Chapter 5.16. The general rate is $21.78 an hour, in effect since , with 3 tiers by employer size; that is $4.65 above the Washington rate of $17.13. The next scheduled change the city states is $22.49 on January 1, 2027.

Read from City of Burien: Minimum Wage on (page SHA-256 6e8c980b94ac…). Every figure on this page was found on that page at that time.

Current rates

Rate per hourApplies toIn effect since
$21.78Large employers (501 or more employees)
$20.78Medium employers (16 to 500 employees)
$19.28Small employers (15 or fewer employees)

Scheduled changes

EffectiveNew rateApplies to
$22.49Large employers (501 or more employees)

How the rate is adjusted: Large-employer rate adjusted each January 1 by the CPI-W for the 12 months ending in August (BMC 5.16.030); medium employers reach the large rate in 2027; small employers follow a schedule below it.

Tipped employees

The city's page states no separate tipped rate; Washington law allows no tip credit, so the full local minimum wage is owed before tips. Washington's state tipped rule (DOL): cash wage $17.13.

What the page also states

  • The page gives the 2027 small-employer rate as 20.49 and the 2028 rate as the large-employer rate minus $1.50.

Against the state and federal rates

LawRate
Burien (city ordinance)$21.78
Washington (state law)$17.13
Federal (FLSA)$7.25

Where federal, state and local laws all cover an employer, the highest applicable rate must be paid. Whether a particular job is covered by this ordinance (most apply to hours worked inside the city limits, with a minimum number of hours a week) depends on facts this site does not assess. This page describes published rates and is not legal advice; see FastGuide for how to raise an underpayment.

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