On Jan. 1, 2026, the minimum wage in unincorporated King County increased from $20.29 an hour to $20.82 an hour, with exceptions for smaller businesses. This is the lowest hourly wage an organization can pay an employee.
On Jan. 1, 2026, the minimum wage in unincorporated King County increased from $20.29 to $20.82 per hour, with exceptions for smaller businesses. The minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate an employer can legally pay an employee.
The legislation, championed by then Councilmember and now Executive Girmay Zahilay, was passed in May 2024 to ensure a living wage in an increasingly expensive region and to keep pace with other King County cities that had already raised their minimum wage. For example, Seattle and Tukwila implemented higher rates in January 2023.
“In a region where the cost of living keeps climbing, wages have to keep up,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “Two years ago, we raised the minimum wage in unincorporated King County because the state’s minimum wage wasn’t enough to meet the basic needs of working families and unincorporated areas were lagging behind their neighboring cities. At the same time, we were intentional about how we did this, including phasing in compliance for smaller businesses so they had time to adjust. This increase won’t solve every challenge workers or employers face, but it is a real step forward and part of our ongoing work to make King County a place where people who work here can afford to live here.”
Unincorporated King County covers a large and diverse area with many types of employers and workers. To ease the transition, the County Council included a phase-in schedule for smaller businesses, based on their number of employees and gross revenue. The chart below shows the 2026 minimum wage rates, including reduced rates for smaller employers:
If the employer in unincorporated King County has…
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The 2026 minimum wage is…
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More than 500 employees and gross revenue of any amount
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15 or fewer employees and an annual gross revenue of less than $2 million
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$18.32 per hour ($2.50 less)
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15 or fewer employees and an annual gross revenue of $2 million or more
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$19.82 per hour ($1.00 less)
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More than 15 employees but fewer than 500 employees and gross revenue of any amount
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$19.82 per hour ($1.00 less)
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Several cities in King County also have set their own minimum wage rates, which may be higher than the state’s rate, while others follow the state minimum wage. To help employers and employees determine which rules apply, King County offers a Minimum Wage Lookup Tool. This tool identifies the correct jurisdiction and provides links to information about minimum wage and other labor standards specific to that area.
Any employee performing work within unincorporated King County should be paid the new minimum wage or higher, regardless of where the employer is located. For example, if the company is based in Oregon and has employees in Unincorporated King County, the employees performing work in Unincorporated King County should be paid the new minimum wage.
“Everyone in unincorporated King County should have the opportunity to earn wages that support themselves and their families, said Leon Richardson, Director of the Department of Local Services. “The Department of Local Services helps make that happen. We offer online information and resources so employers can pay the right wage and employees can understand their rights. Together, we can build a stronger community.”
“One of the best ways to address the affordability crisis we are facing is to ensure working families’ wages are rising,” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, King County Council (District 8). “More money in people’s pockets means they can spend those dollars in their communities, helping to build strong and resilient local economies that support small businesses. I’m proud to have worked with now-Executive Zahilay to pass this increased minimum wage back in 2024. The positive effects can be felt from Vashon Island to White Center and beyond.”
“In a county where workers need to make at least $92,000 per year to rent an average one-bedroom apartment, every step we take to close the gap between what workers make and what workers pay to live here matters,” said Jeremiah Miller, Legal Director at Working Washington. “For years, organized workers in our county have been at the forefront of the movement to redefine what fair pay looks like, and this minimum wage increase for workers in unincorporated King County is an extension of that ongoing fight.”
For more information about minimum wage in unincorporated King County and posters for the workplace in multiple languages, visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/wage.
