District of Columbia minimum wage

$18.40 an hour since July 1, 2026.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
July 1, 2025	$17.95	$10.00	does.dc.gov checked 2026-10-26
July 1, 2026	$18.40	$10.30	does.dc.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

July 1, 2027: Annual CPI adjustment (D.C. Code 32-1003(a)(6), Washington-area CPI-U, rounded to the nearest 5 cents). The tipped minimum stays at 56% of the new rate. The Mayor must publish the new rates at least 30 days before they take effect. (code.dccouncil.gov)
July 1, 2028: Tipped minimum wage rises to 60% of the minimum wage (D.C. Code 32-1003(f)(7)). Later steps: 65% on July 1, 2030, 70% on July 1, 2032 and 75% on July 1, 2034. (code.dccouncil.gov)

We add the amount as soon as it's published. The API returns these under pending_changes.

Good to know

Tipped wage history: the tipped minimum reached $10.00 on July 1, 2024 (D.C. Code 32-1003(f)(5)). The next fixed step, paragraph (6), was repealed, and the schedule now uses percentages of the full minimum wage: 56% from July 1, 2026, then 60%, 65%, 70% and 75% on July 1 of 2028, 2030, 2032 and 2034 (section last amended by D.C. Law 26-55, effective December 6, 2025).
The tipped schedule doesn't apply to D.C. government employees or people working on D.C. government contracts (D.C. Code 32-1003(i)). They stay under the rules in place before February 23, 2023.
Security officers in office buildings get a higher rate tied to the federal Service Contract Act guard 1 wage and fringe rate (D.C. Code 32-1003(h)). Not included as a variant.
If tips plus the base wage don't reach the full minimum wage (averaged weekly), the employer pays the difference.

Get an email when the District of Columbia minimum wage changes

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Look up an address in District of Columbia

Live API, free for 50 lookups a day without an account. US street addresses.

Get District of Columbia rates by API

One call returns the federal, state, county and city rates that apply at an address, the one that governs, the tipped cash wage and the next change, each with its official source.

curl "https://bankday.dev/v1/minimum-wage?state=DC" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BANKDAY_KEY"

API docs · Pricing · State rates are free. City and county rates by name start on the Developer plan, address lookups on the Business plan.

Questions

What is the minimum wage in District of Columbia in 2027?

$18.40 an hour now; the 2027 amount isn't announced yet.

What is the tipped minimum wage in District of Columbia?

Employers may pay a cash wage of $10.30 if tips bring the total to at least $18.40.

Rates come from the official sources linked on this page, checked on the dates shown. This is data, not legal advice: confirm with the official source before relying on it. Found a mistake? Email hello@bankday.dev.