Final pay · WA
Washington — Final Paycheck & Wage Rules
Final paycheck — discharged
Next regular payday
If an employee quits or is fired, their final paycheck must be paid on or before the next regularly scheduled payday. Statute: at the end of the established pay period.
Final paycheck — voluntary quit
Next regular payday
If an employee quits or is fired, their final paycheck must be paid on or before the next regularly scheduled payday.
Waiting-time penalty
Civil penalty for willful violation: greater of $1,000 or 10% of unpaid wages, up to $20,000. Plus civil action for double damages (twice the amount unlawfully withheld) under RCW 49.52.070, plus reasonable attorney fees under RCW 49.48.030. May be waived if employer pays all wages plus interest within 10 business days of citation.
Penalty applies only when the employer willfully fails to pay. A good-faith dispute over the amount may waive the penalty — but the standard is fact-intensive.
Minimum wage (2026)
$17.13/hr
Effective January 1, 2026
Tipped: $17.13/hr
- Tukwila (large employers 500+): $21.65/hr
- Burien (large employers 500+): $21.63/hr
- Renton (employers 500+): $21.57/hr
- Seattle: $21.30/hr
- King County (unincorporated, 500+): $20.82/hr
- Everett (500+): $20.77/hr
- SeaTac (hospitality + transportation): $20.74/hr
- Bellingham: $19.13/hr
Overtime rules
40-hour workweek @ 1.5×
Washington follows the federal FLSA 40-hour weekly threshold. No state-specific daily overtime overlay.
PTO payout
policy dependentDepends on employer policy
State law does not require PTO payout, but if the employer's written policy promises payout (or is silent), accrued PTO may still be owed. Read your handbook.
Washington Final-Paycheck Decoder
Enter your separation date + hourly rate. The decoder computes your statutory deadline and an estimated maximum waiting-time penalty.
Final-Paycheck Decoder
Privacy-first — your inputs never leave your browserState, termination type, hours, willful-failure standard. Get your statutory deadline + waiting-time-penalty estimate with primary-source statute cite. Informational, not legal advice.
If your wages are unpaid past the deadline
File a wage claim — start here
- Federal: DOL Wage & Hour Division (1-866-487-9243). Free, no attorney needed.
- State: WA state labor agency claim form. Often faster than federal for in-state employers.
- Larger or willful claims: consult a licensed employment-law attorney. State-bar lawyer-referral services are the standard starting point. How to choose.
Some links above are referral-partner affiliate links once vetted; the federal and state government links are not. Lawyer referrals are subject to state-bar advertising rules in your jurisdiction.
Legal review
PendingReviewer credential verification in progress
We are retaining a US employment-law attorney to review every state page on this site before it leaves the dev preview. Once retained, the reviewer's name, bar number, state of admission, and signoff date will appear on every state page and on /about. Until then, treat statute citations as informational, not legal advice. Last data verification: May 8, 2026.
File a Washington wage claim
- Send a written demand to your employer with the amount owed, statute cite, and a 7-day deadline.
- File with Washington state labor agency (no attorney needed).
- Or file federal: DOL Wage & Hour Division (1-866-487-9243).
- Your civil-suit deadline (statute of limitations) in Washington: 3 years from the date wages first became due. source
Disclaimer: This page is informational and is not legal advice. Washington statutes are amended over time; we re-verify quarterly and annually for January 1 minimum-wage updates. Specific applications depend on facts your employer may dispute. For advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed Washington employment-law attorney. WageTheftMap is a Desymphony portfolio property.