Stay Up-to-date on OR and WA minimum wage : Gorge Hired

Written by Lenore

June 25, 2022

Stay Up-to-date on OR and WA minimum wage

tldr; Washington Minimum wage, as of January 1, 2023 the minimum wage will be $15.74 per hour. This is up from a previous rate of $14.49 per hour

Oregon’s Minimum wage for Hood River or Wasco Counties, is $13.50 as of July 1, 2022. This is up from the previous rate of $12.75.

Oregon

It’s been happening every year since 2016: Oregon’s minimum wage bumps up on July 1. In March of 2016, Oregon passed a minimum wage law that would increase the state’s minimum wage every year until 2023 (hey, we’re almost there!).

The novel thing about Oregon’s minimum wage law is that it’s tiered based on geographic location. The state’s lawmakers recognized that enforcing a minimum wage that made sense for the Portland Metro Area on rural areas would cause undue hardship for small businesses. Enter the three classifications: PDX Metro, Standard, and Non-Urban counties.

Source: https://www.oregon.gov/boli/workers/Pages/minimum-wage-schedule.aspx

What Columbia River Gorge employers in Oregon need to know:

Hood River and Wasco County are classified as “Standard” – meaning July 1, 2022 The minimum Wage will be $13.50.

Source: https://www.oregon.gov/boli/workers/Pages/minimum-wage.aspx

Oregon – What happens after July 1, 2023?

After 2023, minimum wages will be adjusted based on the “US City average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers” with the PDX metro area being $1.25 over the Standard and Non-Urban counties $1 under. Simply put, the minimum wage will be indexed based on inflation.

Currently, inflation is outpacing wages in Oregon. If inflation continues to rise or outpace wages, it’s feasible that the minimum wage could see even greater leaps next year.

Washington Minimum Wage

For our Klickitat County neighbors across the river, Minimum Wage is $15.74. While there are fewer employers on that side of the Columbia Gorge, this difference may be enough to sway some entry-level workers to find employment across the river. If you’re a Wasco or Hood River County employer with min-wage or entry-level jobs, especially non-tipping jobs, you may want to consider adopting a higher min starting wage to stay competitive with Washington businesses.