Washington’s updated minimum salary thresholds are creating challenges for schools as they work to balance compliance, budgets, and staff morale. Beginning January 1, 2026, most salaried employees must earn at least $80,168.40 annually, with additional increases scheduled through 2028. While teachers and academic administrators are exempt from this requirement, many other school professionals are not.
As a result, some experienced school leaders and instructional staff find themselves earning less than certain support staff who qualify for overtime, despite holding greater responsibility. In other cases, previously salaried employees are being reclassified as hourly to meet the law—often leading to frustration, diminished professional identity, and a sense that their work is being devalued.
Schools already pay the highest salaries their budgets allow, relying on flexible schedules and comp time that reflect the realities of the academic year rather than a traditional 40-hour workweek and twelve-month schedule.
These changes highlight a growing disconnect between state labor policy and how schools function, underscoring the need for policymakers to better understand the real-world impacts on school communities and the professionals who serve them.
