Tacoma voters passed Initiative 1B in 2015 to raise the local minimum wage, but the local floor was structured to track the higher Washington state minimum, which sits at $16.66 per hour for 2026 under RCW 49.46.020.
Tacoma's local minimum wage law, Initiative 1B, took effect in 2015 and phased the local floor upward, but it was written so that whenever the Washington state minimum wage exceeded the Tacoma rate, the state rate controlled. With Washington's wage now indexed annually under RCW 49.46.020, the state minimum has surpassed Tacoma's local schedule and stands at $16.66 in 2026. As a result, Tacoma employers simply pay the state minimum to workers age 16 and over. Local minors and learners may earn 85 percent of the state rate, and tip credits remain banned statewide.
Paying below the state minimum, taking an illegal tip credit, or failing to pay overtime at one and one-half times the state rate exposes the employer to back wages, double damages, and Washington Labor and Industries enforcement.
See how Tacoma's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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