Compensation

January 1, 2020 Minimum Wage Increase

Last updated: October 23, 2019.

Effective January 1, 2020, the UW’s minimum wage will increase from $16.00 per hour to $16.39 per hour per the City of Seattle schedule.

The HR Compensation Office will partner with the ISC to centrally manage increases needed for any employee whose pay is below the new minimum wage effective 1/1/20. Employees brought up to the new minimum will see the increase on their 1/25/20 paycheck.

The range minimums for classified jobs will be brought up to the nearest step above the new minimum. For example, salaried employees who are on the lowest step of the B4 (SEIU 925) or BI (WFSE) pay table will be moved up one step, from $2,832 per month to $2,898 per month. Similarly, hourly paid employees at the lowest SEIU 925 or WFSE step rate, $16.34 per hour, will be moved up to $16.72 per hour, the equivalent of the new lowest step on the pay table as of January 1, 2020.

The January 1, 2020 wage increase applies to:

  • All staff positions on the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses except for student assistants in Tacoma.
  • Student positions including job codes 10875-Student Assistant (Seattle & Bothell campuses), 11836-Student Assistant-Non-UW Student, and job code 11863, Temporary Staff – Helper
  • All hourly academic student employees (ASEs) in jobs 10886-Reader/Grader, 10887-Tutor, 10868-Undergraduate Teaching Assistant and 10869-Undergraduate Research Assistant

Exception for UW Tacoma student hourlies: UW Tacoma has been following the City of Tacoma minimum wage schedule since 2015 for student hourlies. As of January 1, 2019, employees assigned to job code 10888-Student Assistant-UWT (Tacoma campus) had to be paid at least the City of Tacoma minimum wage, $12.35 per hour. As of January 1, 2020, the Washington state minimum wage, which in 2019 was lower than the Tacoma minimum wage, will increase from $12.00 per hour to $13.50. Since the Tacoma minimum wage, even after adjusting for inflation, will be less than $13.50 per hour, the state minimum wage of $13.50 will apply to UWT student assistants starting January 1, 2020.

Please plan for the budgetary impact of the new minimum wage and share this message with organization leaders as appropriate for your department. Compensation will continue to regularly audit for employees paid below minimum wage.

Questions? Email uwhrcomp@uw.edu.