Virginia Minimum Wage 2026: $12.77/hr Calculator

How Virginia Minimum Wage Compares to the Federal Rate

Virginia's 2026 minimum wage of $12.77 per hour is $5.52 above the $7.25 federal minimum. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour has not changed since 2009, meaning workers in states like Virginia rely on state law for meaningful wage floors.

At $12.77/hr working full-time (40 hours/week, 52 weeks/year), a Virginia worker earns $26,561.60 gross annually. That equals $510.80 per week and roughly $2,213.47 per month.

These figures are gross (before taxes). Your take-home pay will be lower after federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) deductions. Use our Virginia Income Tax Calculator for a net-pay estimate.

Last updated: August 2026. Rates sourced from the Virginia Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.

Tipped Workers in Virginia

The tipped minimum wage in Virginia is $2.13 per hour in 2026. Employers may pay tipped employees as little as $2.13/hr, but total compensation including tips must reach $12.77/hr. If tips fall short, the employer must make up the difference.

Tipped workers covered by Virginia law include restaurant servers, bartenders, valets, and other service workers who regularly receive tips. Always check your pay stub to ensure your employer is meeting the full minimum wage requirement.

Virginia's rate is adjusted annually for inflation, and separate legislation signed in 2026 sets a path to $15.00 an hour.

Virginia Wage Increase Schedule

The 2026 minimum wage for Virginia is $12.77/hr. Virginia's 2026 rate of $12.77 came from the state's CPI formula: the 2025 rate of $12.41 plus 2.9%. Beyond that, HB1 and SB1 — signed in April 2026 — set fixed step increases to $13.75 on 1 January 2027 and $15.00 on 1 January 2028.

Employers must post the current Virginia minimum wage notice at their place of business. Violations can result in back-pay orders and civil penalties. Workers who believe they are being underpaid can file a complaint with the Virginia Department of Labor or the U.S. Department of Labor.

Virginia's Path to $15 an Hour: 2026, 2027 and 2028 Rates

Virginia is one of the few states with a legislated schedule rather than inflation indexing alone. The rate is $12.77 in 2026, rising to $13.75 on 1 January 2027 and $15.00 on 1 January 2028 under HB1 and SB1, signed by Governor Spanberger in April 2026. For a full-time worker at 40 hours a week, that path is worth about $26,562 in 2026, $28,600 in 2027, and $31,200 in 2028 — a gross increase of roughly $4,638 a year between now and 2028. Employers budgeting payroll should plan against the 2028 figure rather than the current rate, because the steps are already law.

Bookmark this page — we update Virginia wage data each time the state announces a new rate, including CPI-indexed adjustments.