DC's Minimum Wage Increased July 1

In 2016, the DC Council adopted the Fair Shot Minimum Wage Amendment Act that will gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour in the District of Columbia by 2020. In addition, tipped workers are slated to make $5 an hour by that date.

As part of implementing the law, the minimum wage increased to $12.50 an hour as of July 1, 2017.  In addition, tipped workers' minimum wage rose to $3.33 per hour.

Wages are also going up in neighboring jurisdictions.  Nearby, Maryland’s statewide minimum wage is $9.25 per hour, effective July 1, 2017, with a higher minimum wage in Montgomery County, where it is $11.50, effective July 1, 2017, and Prince George’s County, where it is currently $10.75, with an increase to $11.50 scheduled to go into effect October 1, 2017. Virginia follows the Federal Minimum Wage which is $7.25 per hour.

Nonprofit employers of minimum-wage workers should consider the scheduled wage increases as they plan budgets and submit grant proposals for upcoming years.   The D.C. minimum wage requirement applies to any employee who works at least 50 percent of the time in D.C., regardless of where the worker resides.