The Washington State minimum wage rate for nonexempt employees 16 years of age and older will increase 3.4 percent over the 2023 rate to $16.28 per hour in 2024.
Overtime exempt workers in Washington State must be paid at twice the annual minimum wage rate, regardless of employer size. McDonald’s restaurants in the Puget Sound area are recruiting entry level workers for $18 an hour.
Alaska’s minimum wage will increase from $10.85 to $11.73 an hour. Wages go up automatically after a 2014 citizen initiative passed. McDonald’s in Anchorage pays between $11 and $17 an hour.
The average annual pay for a “Livable in Seattle” is $64,489 a year, according to ZipRecruiter. That works out to be approximately $31 an hour or $1,240 a week.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a “Livable Salary in Alaska” is $69,341 a year, or about $33.34 an hour. This comes out to $1,333 a week.
