BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington’s minimum wage is rising once more with the coming of the new year.

The state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has announced that minimum wage across the state will rise to $17.13 an hour, up from $16.66 an hour.

The 2.8% increase is part of the department’s regular adjustments based on evaluating consumer price indexes each August.

Washington currently has the highest state minimum wage in the country even before the change, and Bellingham voters set the city’s minimum wage $2 above the state beginning May 2025.

Beginning January 1, Bellingham residents working at minimum wage will be making $19.13 an hour.

L&I also notes that they have changed the minimum salary requirement for overtime exemption, raising the threshold to roughly $80,000 a year, depending on employer size.