Washington Overtime Calculator: the complete guide
Washington's overtime rule under RCW 49.46.130 follows the standard federal formula: 1.5x an employee's regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, with no state daily-overtime trigger. Washington already has the highest statewide minimum wage among this calculator's 12 federal-engine states, and several cities — Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila — set their own local minimum wages even higher, which affects the regular-rate baseline overtime is calculated from for employees working in those cities.
This page covers the standard weekly overtime calculation, Washington's statewide and local minimum wage figures, and the exemption rules that determine who is entitled to overtime.
How overtime works in Washington
A non-exempt Washington employee is owed 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek, with no daily-overtime rule. A single long shift, by itself, produces no overtime under Washington law unless the week's total hours exceed 40.
An employee earning $26.00/hr works 42 hours in one workweek. The first 40 hours are straight time: 40 x $26.00 = $1,040.00. The remaining 2 hours are overtime at 1.5x: 2 x $39.00 = $78.00. Total pay for the week: $1,040.00 + $78.00 = $1,118.00.
Washington's minimum wage and local ordinances
Washington's statewide minimum wage is $17.13/hr as of January 1, 2026, under RCW 49.46.020, with no tip credit allowed anywhere in the state — tipped employees receive the full minimum wage in cash on top of their tips, the same no-tip-credit approach as California, Nevada, and Alaska. Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila each set their own local minimum wage above the state figure, and because the higher of the applicable rates always controls, an employee working in one of those cities is entitled to the local rate, not the $17.13/hr statewide figure.
Because overtime pay is a multiple of the regular rate, and the regular rate must be at least the applicable minimum wage, using the statewide figure instead of a higher Seattle-area local rate doesn't just underpay straight-time hours; it understates every overtime hour calculated from that too-low base rate as well.
Exemptions in Washington
Washington generally follows the federal FLSA's exemption categories for executive, administrative, and professional employees, though the state sets its own exempt salary threshold by rule, which has in recent years exceeded the federal $684/week figure and is worth confirming at its current level rather than assuming it matches the federal number. Washington's large technology, aerospace, and logistics sectors around the Puget Sound make correct classification of technical leads and shift supervisors a common point of dispute, since those roles frequently sit close to the exempt salary line.
The regular rate and bonuses
As under any FLSA-governed calculation, a nondiscretionary bonus must be folded into the regular rate before the 1.5x overtime multiplier applies. This is common in Washington's technology and logistics sectors, where retention and productivity bonuses are routine and easy to leave out of a simplified payroll overtime calculation.
Working two roles at different pay rates for the same employer
Washington's logistics and warehousing employers around the Puget Sound sometimes schedule the same worker into two different roles in one workweek, each with its own hourly rate — a general-warehouse role and an equipment-certified role, for instance. Federal law, which governs this calculation in Washington alongside RCW 49.46.130, does not allow 1.5x to be applied to whichever single rate happened to be in effect during the overtime hours. Instead, both rates are blended into one weighted-average regular rate for the week, and overtime is calculated from that blended figure.
As an alternative to the weighted-average method, federal regulations (29 CFR Sec. 778.419) allow an employer and employee to agree in advance, before the work is performed, that overtime hours will be paid at 1.5x the specific rate for whichever job the employee was actually doing during those overtime hours, rather than the blended average. This pre-agreement method is not automatic; without a genuine advance agreement meeting the regulation's requirements, the weighted-average method is the default, and an employer cannot retroactively pick whichever method produces a lower bill after the fact.
An employee works 30 hours at $20.00/hr in one role and 20 hours at $15.00/hr in a second role for the same employer, 50 hours total for the week. Straight-time earnings: (30 x $20.00) + (20 x $15.00) = $600.00 + $300.00 = $900.00. The weighted-average regular rate is $900.00 / 50 = $18.00/hr. Since straight-time pay already covers the base rate for every hour, only an extra 0.5x the regular rate is owed for the 10 overtime hours: 10 x ($18.00 x 0.5) = $90.00. Total pay for the week: $900.00 + $90.00 = $990.00.
Recordkeeping and your rights
Keep your pay stubs, any written schedule, and your own log of daily hours worked in each role and location, since a multi-role regular-rate dispute, or a statewide/local minimum wage mix-up, is resolved almost entirely on that documentation. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries investigates state wage claims separately from the federal Wage and Hour Division, so a claim can often be pursued through either or both routes. Note the specific city where each shift was worked if you split time between Seattle and a non-Seattle location in the same week, since that detail changes the correct wage floor for each portion of the week.
Common mistakes
Using the statewide $17.13/hr rate for a Seattle, SeaTac, or Tukwila employee. Paying the statewide minimum wage to an employee working in a city with a higher local minimum wage understates both their straight-time pay and every overtime hour calculated from that too-low base rate.
Assuming Washington allows a tip credit. Applying a reduced cash wage on the theory that tips make up the difference, as Texas or Pennsylvania would allow, is incorrect in Washington; the state requires the full minimum wage in cash regardless of tips received.
Assuming Washington has a daily-overtime rule. Treating a single 12-hour Washington shift as automatically triggering overtime, the way California would, is incorrect; Washington uses the federal weekly-only 40-hour rule.
Ignoring a nondiscretionary bonus in the overtime rate. Applying 1.5x to a bare hourly rate while an earned retention or productivity bonus goes unaccounted for understates every overtime hour paid that week.
Washington overtime quick reference
| Item | Washington figure |
|---|---|
| Overtime trigger | Hours over 40/week (RCW 49.46.130, tracks federal formula) |
| Daily overtime | None |
| Statewide minimum wage | $17.13/hr |
| Seattle / SeaTac / Tukwila | Higher local minimum wage applies instead |
| Tip credit | None allowed — full minimum wage paid in cash |
How to file a claim
If your Washington paycheck doesn't reflect the correct local minimum wage or overtime calculation, raise it first with your employer or payroll department, since using the statewide rate instead of a higher Seattle-area local figure is a common and correctable error. If that doesn't resolve it, you can file a wage complaint with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which investigates unpaid overtime and minimum wage claims at no cost. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).
Frequently asked questions
- Does Washington have its own overtime rate different from the federal rate?
- No. Washington's overtime rate under RCW 49.46.130 is the same 1.5x-over-40-hours formula as the federal FLSA, with no separate state daily-overtime rule. What differs in Washington is the minimum wage, both the high statewide figure and even higher local rates in some cities.
- What is Washington's minimum wage?
- Washington's statewide minimum wage is $17.13/hr as of January 1, 2026, among the highest of any state this calculator covers. Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila each set their own local minimum wage above that statewide figure for work performed within their city limits.
- Does Washington allow a tip credit?
- No. Washington requires tipped employees to be paid the full applicable minimum wage in cash, with no tip credit taken by the employer, the same no-tip-credit approach used in California, Nevada, and Alaska. Tips are on top of, not counted toward, the minimum wage.
- Is there daily overtime in Washington?
- No. Washington follows the federal weekly-only rule: a single long shift produces no overtime by itself unless the week's total hours exceed 40. Only the 40-hour weekly threshold triggers overtime under Washington law.
- How do I know if the Seattle minimum wage applies to me?
- It depends on where the work is physically performed: employees working inside Seattle, SeaTac, or Tukwila are entitled to that city's higher local minimum wage instead of the $17.13/hr statewide figure. Where the employer's headquarters or payroll office is located does not matter.
- How does a bonus affect Washington overtime pay?
- A nondiscretionary bonus, such as a retention or productivity bonus common in Washington's technology and logistics sectors, must be folded into the regular rate before the 1.5x overtime multiplier is applied. Skipping this step understates every overtime hour paid in a week where such a bonus was earned.
- Who is exempt from overtime in Washington?
- Washington generally follows the federal FLSA's exemption categories, but the state sets its own exempt salary threshold by administrative rule, which has recently exceeded the federal $684/week figure. Always confirm the currently effective Washington threshold rather than assuming it matches the federal number exactly.
- Where do I file an unpaid overtime claim in Washington?
- You can file a wage complaint with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which investigates unpaid overtime and minimum wage claims, including disputes over which local minimum wage applies, at no cost. Keep your pay stubs and your own hours log to support the claim.