Washington Overtime Calculator
Washington has the highest state minimum wage in the country and an exempt salary threshold to match — over $80,000. That means an enormous number of salaried managers in Washington are legally non-exempt and owed overtime.
Washington overtime calculator — enter your hours
Gross pay for the week
$950.00
45 hours worked across 6 days
Quick answer: Washington overtime is 1.5× the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with no daily overtime rule. The catch is the salary test: salaried employees under about $80,172 a year (2026) are non-exempt and owed overtime.
Washington overtime rules (WAC 296-128)
Washington follows the federal structure but with a much stricter salary test:
- 1.5× the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek.
- No general daily overtime outside a small number of occupations.
- Regular rate includes non-discretionary bonuses, commissions and shift premiums — Washington enforces this aggressively.
- Exempt salary threshold (2026): $1,541.70 per week, which is $80,172 a year — indexed annually to the state minimum wage.
Washington also has detailed meal and rest break rules (a 30-minute meal period after 5 hours, a paid 10-minute rest break per 4 hours) and requires premium pay when breaks are missed. Those premiums are separate from overtime and are not included in the total above.
Washington minimum wage in 2026
Washington's minimum wage is $17.13/hour from 1 January 2026 — the highest state rate in the country after DC. It is indexed to the CPI-W every January. Local ordinances in Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac set significantly higher floors, with Tukwila the highest local rate in the United States.
What an overtime week looks like in Washington
| Daily hours | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours worked | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 0 | — |
Washington uses a weekly threshold only, so all cells are straight time until the total passes 40 hours.
Worked examples
| Scenario | Rate | Week | Gross pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard week | $20.00/hr | 40 h | $800.00 |
| Six-day week | $20.00/hr | 45 h | $950.00 |
| Warehouse peak season | $20.00/hr | 55 h | $1,250.00 |
| Fifty-hour week | $20.00/hr | 50 h | $1,100.00 |
Who is entitled to overtime in Washington?
Washington has the toughest salary test in the United States. In 2026 an exempt employee must earn at least $1,541.70 per week ($80,172 a year) and pass the duties test. A restaurant manager on $65,000 in Spokane is non-exempt and owed overtime for every hour over 40.
The threshold rises every January with the minimum wage, so employers need to re-check exemptions annually — and must also count commissions and non-discretionary bonuses, which often push pay over the line in one quarter and not another.
Frequently asked questions
Is overtime after 8 hours in Washington?
No. Washington uses the 40-hour weekly rule; daily overtime applies only in narrow occupations such as certain transportation and public safety roles.
What is the Washington salary threshold for overtime exemption in 2026?
$1,541.70 per week, equivalent to $80,172 a year, indexed annually to the state minimum wage.
What is the Washington minimum wage in 2026?
$17.13 per hour, the highest state rate in the country, adjusted each 1 January for inflation.
How much is overtime on $20 an hour in Washington?
$30 per hour. Five extra hours in a week adds $150.
Do Washington employers owe double time?
No general double-time requirement; any 2× rate comes from your contract or collective bargaining agreement.
Does a missed break count as overtime?
Not overtime, but Washington requires premium pay for missed meal and rest breaks — typically one hour at the regular rate per violation.