Seattle minimum wage will rise in 2023

The minimum wage in Seattle will go up in 2023, but how much depends on the employer.

Seattle's Office of Labor Standards has set the city's new minimum wage for small and large employers to between $16.50 and $18.69. The new wages start on Jan. 1.

The new $16.50 rate is for small employers who pay medical benefits or allow tips for employees. This is a 75 cent raise from the current $15.75 per hour rate.

The minimum for small employers who don't pay for insurance, and for all large employers, is $18.69 per hour. This is a $1.42 raise from the current $17.27 rate.

The city defines a small employer as a business with fewer than 500 employees.

Washington state's minimum wage was also recently revised and is slated for a raise in 2023. Washington's 8.66% increase (tied to the cost of inflation) will raise the state's minimum wage to the highest in the nation (though Washington, D.C., still has a higher minimum wage).

Washington state's minimum wage will go up $1.25 to $15.74 in 2023.