News brief Jobs · Virginia
Virginia’s next minimum-wage step is $13.75 on January 1
The current $12.77 floor remains in place for 2026; the enacted schedule gives workers and employers a date to plan around.
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- The Virginia minimum is $12.77 for covered employees during 2026.
- The next statutory rate is $13.75 beginning January 1, 2027.
- A 40-hour comparison produces $39.20 more in weekly gross pay.
In this story
Two rates, two different years
Virginia workers covered by the state minimum-wage law are due at least $12.77 an hour during 2026. The current Code of Virginia sets the next step at $13.75 beginning January 1, 2027, followed by $15 on January 1, 2028.
The statute uses the federal minimum instead if that figure is higher.
For a Gretna-area worker paid exactly the state minimum for 40 hours each week, the move from $12.77 to $13.75 would add $39.20 to weekly gross pay. That is an arithmetic comparison assuming unchanged hours; taxes, deductions and individual work arrangements affect the amount deposited.
What to check this fall
Workers can use a recent pay statement to identify their hourly rate and distinguish regular earnings from other payments. The increase does not mean every employee already earning above the new minimum automatically receives the same raise.
Business owners preparing January payroll should identify covered positions below the new floor and ask their payroll provider when the change will be entered. Keep the effective date alongside the new rate so a future figure does not accidentally replace the current one early.
The Department of Labor and Industry is the state reference for minimum-wage questions. Coverage and exceptions still matter; a particular occupation or training arrangement needs its own check against the law.
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Sources & verification
Current code; 2026 Acts chapters 350 and 351; checked September 7, 2026.
Read the sourcePublished July 29, 2025; supports the 2026 rate, not the later statutory schedule; checked September 7, 2026.
Read the sourceThis article was written with AI assistance from the linked sources. No firsthand interview or visit is implied. Source dates and limits are identified in the reporting. Advertising does not determine editorial coverage. Request a correction or read our standards.
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