# District of Columbia tipped minimum wage 2026

In District of Columbia the minimum wage is $18.40 an hour, and an employer can pay a tipped employee a cash wage as low as $10.30, counting up to $8.10 an hour of tips toward the rest. If tips fall short in a workweek, the employer pays the difference.

Check your own week with the free [calculator on this page](https://rulecost.com/paycheck/tipped-minimum-wage/district-of-columbia/), prefilled with District of Columbia's rates.

- Minimum wage: $18.40 / hour
- Lowest cash wage for tipped employees: $10.30 / hour
- Maximum tip credit: $8.10 / hour

DC's minimum wage and tipped wage are adjusted every July 1.

## 2027

DC adjusts its minimum wage for inflation every July 1; the July 2027 rate is usually announced in the spring. The tipped wage stays at 56% of the minimum wage. Source: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1003

## Not paid the minimum wage?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists the [DC Department of Employment Services](https://does.dc.gov) as District of Columbia's labor office. Federal complaints: Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243.

## Sources

- [Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- [State Minimum Wage Laws](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- [Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the FLSA](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division