Washington labor laws for hourly staff: minimum wage, breaks and minors
Washington's basic minimum wage is $17.13 per hour, as listed by the US Department of Labor (updated November 5, 2026). The DOL meal-period table (revised January 1, 2023) lists a meal-period requirement for adult private-sector employees for Washington, and its rest-period table lists a paid rest-period requirement.
Washington labor rules at a glance
| Topic | What the US DOL table says for Washington | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $17.13 | November 5, 2026 |
| Overtime / premium pay | Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 Premium pay not applicable to employees who request compensating time off in lieu of premium pay. | November 5, 2026 |
| Meal break (adults) | See table below | January 1, 2023 |
| Paid rest break (adults) | See table below | January 1, 2023 |
| Minors under 16: max hours | 8-40-6 non-school day/week 3 (8 Saturday and Sunday) 16-6 school day/week | July 15, 2025 |
| Minors 16–17: max hours | 8-48-6 non-school day/week 4-20-6 school day/week | July 15, 2025 |
| Night work, under 16 | 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1st to Labor Day) to 7 a.m. An adult must supervise minors working after 8 p.m. in service occupations, such as restaurants and retail businesses. | July 15, 2025 |
| Night work, 16–17 | 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday (midnight Friday and Saturday and when school is not in session) to 7 a.m. (5 a.m. when school is not in session). 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. in door-to-door sales. An adult must supervise minors working after 8 p.m. in service occupations, such as restaurants and retail businesses. | July 15, 2025 |
Minimum wage in Washington
Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $17.13
Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40
Premium pay not applicable to employees who request compensating time off in lieu of premium pay.
The minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula.
DOL footnote 1: The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
The DOL notes that some local governments set minimum wages higher than the state rate, and that subminimum or training rates are not shown in its table.
Meal breaks in Washington
| Rule | Prescribed by | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| ½ hour, if work period is more than 5 consecutive hours, to be given not less than 2 hours nor more than 5 hours from beginning of shift. Counted as worktime if employee is required to remain on duty on premises or at a prescribed worksite. Additional ½ hour, before or during overtime, for employees working 3 or more hours beyond regular workday. | Administrative regulation | Excludes newspaper vendor or carrier, domestic or casual labor around private residence, sheltered workshop, and agricultural labor. 2 Rules for construction trade employees may be superseded by a collective bargaining agreement covering such employees if the terms of the agreement specifically require meal periods and prescribe requirements concerning them. |
The DOL lists Washington among the jurisdictions with separate meal-period provisions for minors.
DOL footnote 2/: In addition to the States with Standards of general application a 30-minute meal period is required for seasonal farm workers after 5 hours in Pennsylvania , and for migrant workers in Wisconsin after 6 hours. In Washington State, although agricultural labor is excluded from the listed requirement of general application, a separate regulation requires a 30-minute meal period after 5 hours in agriculture and an additional 30 minutes for employees working 11 or more hours in a day. In addition to the listed States with mandatory Standards, other provisions appear in two States:
DOL footnote 3/: Not displayed in table are exemptions for executive, administrative and professional employees, and for outside salespersons.
Rest breaks in Washington
| Rule | Prescribed by | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Paid 10-minute rest period for each 4-hour work period, scheduled as near as possible to midpoint of each work period. Employee may not be required to work more than 3 hours without a rest period. | Administrative regulation | Excludes newspaper vendor or carrier, domestic or casual labor around private residence, sheltered workshop, and agricultural labor. 4 Rules for construction trade employees may be superseded by a collective bargaining agreement covering such employees if the terms of the agreement specifically require rest periods and prescribe requirements concerning them. |
Scheduling minors in Washington
Hours notation is the DOL's: daily-weekly-days per week (for example 8-40-6). Where state law is less restrictive than federal law, federal law applies; where it is more restrictive, state law applies (29 U.S.C. 218(a), as quoted by the DOL).
| Age | Maximum hours | Night work prohibited |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 8-40-6 non-school day/week 3 (8 Saturday and Sunday) 16-6 school day/week | 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1st to Labor Day) to 7 a.m. An adult must supervise minors working after 8 p.m. in service occupations, such as restaurants and retail businesses. |
| 16 and 17 | 8-48-6 non-school day/week 4-20-6 school day/week | 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday (midnight Friday and Saturday and when school is not in session) to 7 a.m. (5 a.m. when school is not in session). 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. in door-to-door sales. An adult must supervise minors working after 8 p.m. in service occupations, such as restaurants and retail businesses. |
DOL table footnotes: (a) State hours limitations on a school day and in a school week usually apply only to those enrolled in school. (b) Students of 14 and 15 enrolled in approved Work Experience and Career Exploration programs may work during school hours up to 3 hours on a school day and 23 hours in a school week. (c) Combined hours of work and school.
A blank cell is blank on the DOL table. The federal (FLSA) row of the same DOL table, for minors under 16: 3 hours on a school day and 18 in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 in a non-school week, and no work from 7 p.m. (9 p.m. June 1 through Labor Day) to 7 a.m.
Tools: overtime calculator · labor cost calculator · all states
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
Questions
What is the minimum wage in Washington?
The US DOL lists Washington's basic minimum rate as $17.13 per hour (updated November 5, 2026). Some cities and counties set higher local rates.
Does Washington require meal breaks for adults?
Yes, the DOL meal-period table (revised January 1, 2023) lists a requirement for Washington; see the table on this page.
Does Washington require paid rest breaks?
Yes, Washington is listed in the DOL paid rest-period table (revised January 1, 2023); see the table on this page.
Sources
- US DOL, Overtime Pay (checked 2026-11-12)
- State Minimum Wage Laws (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector 1 (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment as of July 15, 2025 (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL, Breaks and Meal Periods (checked 2026-11-12)