by Michael Cardman, Brightmine Senior Legal Editor
Virginia is on the verge of accelerating the growth of its minimum wage.
Legislation that has passed both chambers of the state legislature (HB 1 in the House of Delegates and SB 1 in the Senate) would raise the state minimum wage to:
- $13.75, effective January 1, 2027; and
- $15.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2028.
Starting January 1, 2029, and every January 1 thereafter, the minimum wage would be adjusted for inflation based on the US Consumer Price Index for All Items, All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). (Under current law, annual inflation adjustments would resume January 1, 2027.)
The following chart shows the projected change in the trajectory of the state minimum wage based on 2.54% annual inflation adjustments, which is the average annual change in the CPI-U during the past 25 years:
The legislation soon will be delivered to the desk of Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who said in a statement that she plans to sign it into law.
In related news, bills that would eliminate the minimum wage exemptions for farm workers and certain temporary foreign workers (HB 20 in the House of Delegates and SB 121 in the Senate) also are advancing through the legislature. Spanberger does not appear to have indicated whether or not she would sign such a measure into law.
You may also be interested in…
About the author
Michael Cardman
Senior Legal Editor, Brightmine
Michael Cardman has more than 20 years of experience in publishing and has specialized in employment law for more than 15 years. As a member of the Brightmine editorial team, he focuses on wage and hour compliance, including minimum wage, overtime, employee classification, hours worked, independent contractors and child labor.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Brightmine, he was the managing editor for Thompson Publishing Group’s library of HR publications. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing books, manuals and online tools covering a variety of topics such as wage and hour, employee leaves, employee benefits and compensation.
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.
Sign up to receive expert HR insights from Brightmine
Join our community and stay updated with industry trends, expert insights, valuable resources, webinar invites… and much more.
Sign up now and receive regular updates straight to your inbox!