Minimum Wage in Washington DC – weekly, monthly, annually

In Washington DC, the minimum hourly wage is $16.10, which is $8.85 higher than the Federal Minimum Wage ($7.25 an hour).

Just about all employees in Washington DC will receive financial compensation at a level of at least the District’s minimum wage. There are some exceptions, however, like tipped employees, some student workers, and some more exemptions (read more below).

The District’s Minimum Wage Act is among the country’s best minimum wage laws. On July 1, 2022, DC’s minimum wage level increased to $16.10, and the minimum cash wage for tipped employees increased to $5.35.

In some cases, disabled employees and student workers may receive wages under the District’s minimum wage level, but then, the employer must be specifically exempt under federal or DC law and hold certification by the Department of Labor.

For minors younger than 18 years of age, the minimum wage could be $4.25 an hour, but only for a training period of up to the first 90 days of their employment.

Tipped workers in the District may also be compensated under the minimum hourly rate (as low as $5.35), but only if their combined hourly earnings, including tips, reach a level of no less than $16.10 for each worked hour. More information on exempt worker categories is listed below.

Washington DC Paycheck Calculator

With this Paycheck Calculator, you can calculate your earnings per week, per month, and per year.

How to use the Washington DC paycheck calculator

1. Enter your hourly earnings.
2. Enter how many hours you work per week.
3. Our paycheck calculator will indicate how your hourly earnings translate to weekly, monthly, or annual income.

How our Washington DC paycheck calculator works

For the majority of American workers, understanding what’s on their paycheck is relatively easy. They will get their paychecks every week, every two weeks, or at the end of the month, and at the end of the year, they will receive their tax forms.

For this type of employee, figuring out how much they make on a monthly or weekly basis is a relatively simple process. If you work on an hourly basis, however, things could become a bit more complicated. So you may want to learn about how your hourly earnings relate to annual, monthly, or weekly wages.

To help you with that challenging process, we developed this Paycheck Calculator. It will tell you how your hourly wage translates to weekly, monthly, or annual earnings.

These results are generated by multiplying the base hourly salary by the number of hours, weeks, or months you work on a yearly basis, assuming that you’re working 40 hours per week.

Minimum Wage in DC

So, in Washington DC, the minimum hourly earnings are $16.10. These hourly earnings correspond to $128.80 per day, $644 per week (at 40 work hours), $2791 per month, and $33,488 per year.

The U.S. poverty line for a two people family unit is $17,420, but in Washington DC, living comes at quite a high cost, so the required minimum wage in the District will, for many people, not be enough to pay their monthly bills.

Minimum wage exemptions in Washington DC

Not all employees may earn the District’s minimum hourly wage. The following categories may earn less, but keep in mind that this is not a full overview of positions that qualify for exemption:

• Disabled workers – Workers with disabilities can be paid under the minimum wage if the employer or employee holds a certificate issued by the U.S. Department of Labor to do so.
• Minors under the age of 18 may be paid $4.25 an hour during a training period of maximally the first 90 days of their employment.
• Students working on a part-time basis (maximally 20 hours per week) in work-study programs at educational institutions, and are registered as full-time students, may receive 85% of the minimum wage, so $13.68 per hour.
• Tipped employees may receive compensation under the District’s minimum requirement (as low as $5.35) but only if their combined hourly earnings (so including gratuities) equal the minimum hourly wage.

DC overtime wage

All Washington DC workers that work more than 40 hours a week can receive compensation for those qualifying overwork hours at a rate of 1.5 times the minimum wage (so, $25.15 per hour).

DC labor laws are quite strict. If an employer doesn’t comply with DC’s minimum and overtime pay regulations and laws, employees can file unpaid work or overwork claims. Washington DC has extreme worker-friendly wage and hour laws. In the District, employees may recover up to four times the amount of unpaid wages or overtime pay.

What is considered work time?

Work time hours are considered all hours for which an employee gets paid or is entitled to get paid for carrying out assignments and duties for an employer.

Generally speaking, the rule is that an employee can expect full compensation for hours spent on tasks and activities that are initiated and/or controlled by, and benefit the employer.

Short breaks up to 15-20 minutes are included in work time, but longer breaks are not seen as work time. Time required for training and education qualifies, of course, as work time and hours spent on attending lectures and conferences as well. The time needed for daily commute does not qualify as work time, however.

Please note that this post doesn’t contain legal advice. If you have any questions about Washington DC’s minimum wage policies or minimum wage compliance, consult a tax professional or a tax attorney.