Minimum wage rates in Burien, Washington, will increase on January 1, 2027, with the city setting the large-employer rate at $22.49 per hour.
The new rate is up from $21.78 in 2026, an increase of 71 cents per hour, or about 3.3 percent.
The City of Burien published the updated figures on October 13, 2026, ahead of its annual October 15 publication deadline.
The change applies under Burien Municipal Code Chapter 5.16, the city’s Fair Labor Standards Ordinance.
The law divides employers into large, medium and small categories, creating different rates during a multiyear phase-in period.
Table of Contents
Burien’s 2027 minimum wage rates
The 2027 minimum wage will depend on the number of employees covered by the employer classification rules.
| Employer category | 2026 rate | 2027 rate |
|---|---|---|
| Large employers with 501 or more employees | $21.78 | $22.49 |
| Medium employers with 16 to 500 employees | $20.78 | $22.49 |
| Small employers with 15 or fewer employees | $19.28 | $20.49 |
Medium employers will reach the full large-employer rate in 2027 under the ordinance’s phase-in schedule.
Small employers will continue to receive a temporary reduction from the large-employer rate.
For small employers, the 2027 rate is $2 below the large-employer rate.
The city’s published schedule provides for additional reductions in that gap over time, with the small-employer rate eventually tied more closely to the large-employer rate.
How Burien calculated the large-employer rate
Burien’s ordinance requires the large-employer minimum wage to increase each January 1 based on inflation.
For the 2027 adjustment, the city used the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, commonly called CPI-W, for the 12-month period ending in August 2026.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 3.3 percent year-over-year increase in the area’s CPI-W for August 2026.
Burien applied that percentage to the unrounded 2026 base rate of $21.7752.
The resulting calculation produced an unrounded 2027 figure of $22.4937.
The city lists the rate payable to employees as $22.49 per hour.
The adjustment means the 2027 large-employer rate will be 71 cents higher than the 2026 rate.
For a worker paid at the minimum for 40 hours per week, that increase represents about $28.40 more in gross weekly wages before taxes, assuming the worker receives the higher rate for all 40 hours.
Which employers are covered
Large employers are businesses with 501 or more employees under the city’s classification system.
Medium employers have 16 to 500 employees, while small employers have 15 or fewer employees.
The ordinance also contains special rules for franchise businesses.
A franchisee connected to a franchisor or franchise network with more than 15 but no more than 500 employees in the aggregate is treated as a medium employer.
A franchisee connected to a network employing more than 500 employees in the aggregate is treated as a large employer.
That means a business may not be able to determine its Burien rate solely by counting workers at one local location.
Employers should review Chapter 5.16 and the city’s administrative guidance to determine which classification applies.
The city says employers seeking help interpreting the ordinance should consult private legal counsel.
Tips and service charges cannot replace the hourly rate
Burien’s rules state that tips and service charges must be paid to employees and are in addition to the hourly minimum wage.
Those amounts may not be counted toward meeting the required hourly minimum wage.
Employers in tipped industries therefore must ensure that the direct hourly wage independently satisfies the applicable Burien rate.
The rule is separate from the annual rate adjustment and may affect payroll practices for restaurants, hospitality businesses and other employers that collect service charges.
Additional hours must be offered to some part-time workers
Burien’s Fair Labor Standards Ordinance includes an additional-hours requirement for large and medium employers.
Before hiring new employees or using subcontractors, including temporary agencies, those employers must offer available additional hours to qualified part-time employees under the city’s rules.
This requirement is separate from the hourly rate increase.
Affected employers may need to review scheduling, hiring and staffing procedures before the 2027 rate takes effect.
Annual compliance certification begins in January
Burien says employers must begin certifying their compliance with Chapter 5.16 annually on January 31, 2027.
The certification requirement arrives one month after the new minimum wage rates take effect.
Employers should retain payroll and scheduling records needed to demonstrate compliance with the applicable wage, additional-hours and other labor standards requirements.
The city also warns that a civil action may be brought against a violator within five years of the date of the alleged violation.
Employees and employers should use the ordinance itself for the controlling legal requirements.
Burien minimum wage history
Burien’s large-employer minimum wage was $21.10 in 2025 and rose to $21.78 in 2026.
The 2027 rate of $22.49 continues the annual inflation-based adjustment.
The current framework was established through a voter initiative that passed in February 2025 and became effective on March 23, 2025.
The city previously had a separate minimum-wage ordinance, Chapter 5.15, but the City Council repealed that chapter effective May 27, 2026.
Chapter 5.16 and Burien Administrative Rule 2026-01 now provide the framework for the city’s minimum wage requirements.
The city’s minimum-wage webpage was updated October 13, 2026, to show the 2027 rates.
What workers and employers should know
Workers employed in Burien should check their pay rate after January 1, 2027, based on the classification of their employer.
The applicable rate may differ from the statewide Washington minimum wage because local wage laws can impose higher requirements.
Employers should identify their classification, update payroll systems, review franchise-related employee counts and prepare for the annual compliance certification deadline.
The 2027 rate is an announced change, not a proposal.
It becomes part of Burien’s wage schedule on January 1, 2027, subject to the governing municipal code and any later official amendments or administrative guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will Burien’s minimum wage be in 2027?
Burien’s 2027 minimum wage will be $22.49 per hour for large employers with 501 or more employees. Medium employers will also pay $22.49, while small employers with 15 or fewer employees will pay $20.49.
When does Burien’s 2027 minimum wage take effect?
The 2027 rates take effect January 1, 2027, under Burien Municipal Code Chapter 5.16.
Why is Burien’s large-employer rate increasing?
The rate is adjusted annually for inflation using the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue CPI-W for the 12-month period ending in August. The August 2026 CPI-W increase was 3.3 percent.
Do tips count toward Burien’s minimum wage?
No. Burien states that tips and service charges must be paid to employees in addition to, and may not count toward, the required hourly minimum wage.
When does Burien’s annual compliance certification begin?
Burien says employers must begin certifying compliance with Chapter 5.16 annually on January 31, 2027.
Fact-Checked: The 2027 rates, effective date, employer classifications and compliance deadline were checked against the City of Burien’s updated October 13, 2026 minimum-wage page, and the CPI-W figure was cross-checked with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and does not replace the Burien Municipal Code or legal advice.
New Minimum Wage In Canada and 5 Provinces, Effective April 1
