DC minimum wage 2027: $18.40 now, 2027 rate pending

DC minimum wage 2027: $18.40 per hour since July 1, 2026; the 2027 rate follows a formula and is not published yet (DC OAG Wage and Hour Laws page; DC DOES Office of Wage-Hour Compliance). Verified Sep 20, 2026 on two official pages.

“Regular Employees: Employees who do not receive tips must be paid at least the minimum wage, as indicated in the table below, which is $18.40 per hour beginning on July 1, 2026. The minimum wage generally increases every year on July 1st.”

Second official source: “Beginning July 1, 2026, the minimum wage in the District of Columbia will increase from $17.95 per hour to $18.40 per hour for all workers, regardless of the size of the employer.” (DC DOES Office of Wage-Hour Compliance).

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What changes for District of Columbia employers in 2027

Rate in force now: District of Columbia minimum wage is $18.40 per hour beginning July 1, 2026; it is adjusted annually on July 1. (D.C. Minimum Wage Act (U.S. DOL WHD State Minimum Wage Laws table); D.C. Office of the Attorney General, Wage and Hour Laws; verified Sep 27, 2026).

Other District of Columbia minimum rates

• Tipped employees (base wage, tips on top): “As of July 1, 2026, the base minimum wage for tipped employees will increase to $10.30 per hour.” (DC DOES Office of Wage-Hour Compliance)

Paying the minimum wage in District of Columbia: paydays, final pay and breaks

• Paydays: Employers must pay wages on regular paydays designated in advance, at least twice during each calendar month; bona fide administrative, executive and professional employees must be paid at least once per month, and an employer that by contract or custom has paid wages at least once each calendar month may continue to do so. (U.S. DOL WHD State Payday Requirements; D.C. Code § 32-1302; verified Sep 27, 2026)
• Final pay after a firing: A discharged employee must be paid wages earned no later than the working day after the discharge. If the employee handled employer money, the employer gets 4 days to check the accounts. (D.C. Code § 32-1303(1); DC Department of Employment Services, Office of Wage-Hour; verified Sep 24, 2026)
• Final pay after a resignation: An employee who quits or resigns must be paid by the next regular payday or within 7 days of quitting, whichever is earlier. (D.C. Code § 32-1303(2); DC Department of Employment Services, Office of Wage-Hour; verified Sep 24, 2026)

Every verified rule for the state, with the law cited: District of Columbia employer rulebook.

Exempt salary threshold in 2027: Federal $684 a week ($35,568 a year); no higher state threshold found (U.S. DOL thresholds page; eCFR 29 CFR 541.600) Verified Oct 21, 2026

Later in 2027: Statewide: Pending verification from July 1, 2027 (pending verification; does.dc.gov).

Each change with its official text: District of Columbia rules.

District of Columbia minimum wage rates: now, 2027 and next

Earlier rates (Office of the Attorney General for DC), as the official page lists them: “Starting On Most Regular Employees Most Tipped Employees July 1, 2022 $16.10 $5.35 July 1, 2023 $17.00 $8.00 ($6.00 as of January 1, 2023) July 1, 2024 $17.50 $10.00 July 1, 2025 $17.95 $10.00 July 1, 2026 $18.40 $10.30” (DC OAG Wage and Hour Laws page).

How the next District of Columbia rate is set

“(6)(A) Except as provided in subsection (h) of this section, beginning on July 1, 2021, and no later than July 1 of each successive year, the minimum wage provided in this subsection shall be increased in proportion to the annual average increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor for the previous calendar year. Any increase under this paragraph shall be adjusted to the nearest multiple of $.05.” (D.C. Code § 32-1003(a)(6)(A) (Council of the District of Columbia))

“(f-1) The Mayor shall publish in the District of Columbia Register, on the Department of Employment Services website, and make available to employers in a bulletin, the adjusted minimum hourly wage to be paid by an employer to an employee pursuant to subsections (a)(5) and (6) and (f) of this section at least 30 days before an increase is scheduled to go into effect.” (D.C. Code § 32-1003(f-1) (Council of the District of Columbia))

2027 minimum wage: District of Columbia and neighboring states

Each state links to its rulebook, and to its own 2027 minimum wage page where we have one. The same rows, for every state, are in the 2027 table by state.

How to act on it

Full-time pay at the rate in force now (computed: hourly rate × 40 hours a week and × 2,080 hours a year, before taxes): $18.40 = $736.00 a week, $38,272 a year.

Questions about the District of Columbia minimum wage in 2027

Sources (15)

• DC OAG Wage and Hour Laws page
• DC DOES Office of Wage-Hour Compliance
• District of Columbia official minimum wage source
• D.C. Minimum Wage Act (U.S. DOL WHD State Minimum Wage Laws table)
• U.S. DOL thresholds page
• eCFR 29 CFR 541.600
• U.S. DOL WHD State Payday Requirements
• D.C. Code § 32-1302
• D.C. Code § 32-1303(1)
• DC Department of Employment Services, Office of Wage-Hour
• U.S. DOL minimum wage page
• 29 U.S.C. §206 (govinfo)
• D.C. Code § 32-1003 (DC Council)
• Md. Lab. & Empl. §3-413 (MGA)
• Virginia DOLI home page

Checked Sep 20, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error

Where this goes next

StateDistrict of Columbia employer rulebookAll 51 statesMinimum wage by state 20272027Every District of Columbia change in 2027ToolHourly to salary calculator