The King County Council has voted to create a new minimum wage for unincorporated areas of the county, aligning with Tukwila’s highest-in-the-nation wage standard. This wage standard will take effect on January 1, 2025.
Employers with 500 or more employees will be required to pay $20.29 per hour. For smaller businesses, the minimum wage will be phased in over several years:
- Small businesses with fewer than 15 employees and under $2 million in gross revenue will have a $17.29 minimum wage.
- Businesses with 16-499 employees will start with a minimum wage of $18.29.
These small business wage breaks would decline over time until all businesses are paying the same minimum wage in 2030.
In public comment before the vote, John Engber, lobbyist for WR, urged the Council to adopt Councilmember Reagan Dunn’s amendment for total compensation credit. This amendment would have enabled employee benefits and tips to count toward the minimum wage. The Council rejected the amendment on a 7-2 vote and passed the legislation by 7-2.
