DCIndexed annually
District of Columbia minimum wage 2026
The District of Columbia minimum wage is $17.95 per hour as of 2025-07-01. The tipped cash wage is $12.00 with a tip credit of $5.95. [DC labor dept.][DOL WHD]
Standard minimum
DC$17.95
Effective 2025-07-01.
Verified 2026-06-24
Tipped cash wage
$12.00
Tip credit ceiling $5.95.
Verified 2026-06-24
vs federal $7.25
+$10.70
Above the federal minimum.
Verified 2009-07-24
Next scheduled step
$18.35
Effective 2026-07-01.
Verified 2026-06-24
Tip-credit split
Cash $12.00Credit $5.95Combined $17.95
Take-home at the District of Columbia minimum
Estimated take-home at $17.95 per hour
20 hours/week
$359.00
~$309/wk after tax
$18,668 annual gross
30 hours/week
$538.50
~$447/wk after tax
$28,002 annual gross
40 hours/week
$718.00
~$583/wk after tax
$37,336 annual gross
Estimate uses 2026 federal brackets (single filer), FICA 7.65 percent, and a flat state effective rate. Actual withholding varies by W-4 and credits.
Statute and indexing
D.C. Code section 32-1003 indexes annually each July to the CPI-U for the Washington metro area. Initiative 82 (2022) phases out the tip credit by 2027-07-01, raising the tipped cash wage in steps. The current $17.95 is the highest standard rate of any US jurisdiction.
Companion page
District of Columbia tipped wage
Tool
Take-home calculator
Reference
Federal vs state delta