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Advertising hourly roles in Virginia? We put the rate in front of the right people.

Virginia Minimum Wage 2026: $12.77 an Hour Effective January 1

Verified against the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry as of September 1, 2026.

Virginia’s minimum wage is $12.77 an hour, effective January 1, 2026. Under Va. Code § 40.1-28.10 it rises to $13.75 on January 1, 2027 and $15.00 on January 1, 2028, with annual CPI-U adjustments from January 1, 2029. Tipped employees can be paid a federal cash wage of $2.13 an hour, but total compensation — wages plus tips — must reach the full $12.77 in every workweek, or the employer has to make up the difference.

Virginia at a glance

Virginia minimum wage — verified September 1, 2026
Current rate	$12.77 / hour
Effective	January 1, 2026
Tipped cash wage	$2.13 / hour (must reach $12.77 combined)
Next scheduled change	$13.75 / hour on January 1, 2027; $15.00 / hour on January 1, 2028

Pay floor check

Does the rate you pay clear Virginia’s minimum now, and after each scheduled increase?

Pick hourly or tipped. Hourly shows your rate against each scheduled rate; tipped checks one workweek of wages plus tips.

Who you are hiring

Hourly employeeTipped employee

Hourly rate you pay

Compared with the statewide rate for non-tipped employees.

Your rate against the schedule

$12.77In effect now+$0.23
$13.75Jan 1, 2027−$0.75
$15.00Jan 1, 2028−$2.00

Minimum wage Your rate

From January 1, 2029: annual CPI-U adjustments under Va. Code § 40.1-28.10.

$0.23 above the floor today

On January 1, 2027, in 92 days, the minimum rises to $13.75. This rate falls $0.75 an hour short of it.

Clearing the $15.00 due January 1, 2028 takes $2.00 more an hour than you pay now.

Source: Va. Code § 40.1-28.10; Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

Candidates compare posted rates side by side. Leading the ad with yours is what gets it read.

See ads for Virginia roles at $13

An illustration of the rates and tipped-wage rule on this page. Not legal advice; certain seasonal and job-specific exemptions exist.

What this means for hiring

Virginia’s rate applies to most full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, though certain seasonal and job-specific exemptions exist — worth checking against the specific role before assuming the standard rate applies. Because Virginia allows the lower federal tipped cash wage, tipped-role math here works differently than in a state like California with no tip credit at all.

For breaks, overtime, final paychecks and hiring rules in Virginia, see our Virginia labor laws guide for employers.

Hiring ad planner

Your Virginia ad, and what the applicants cost

Set the role, the rate you pay and how many applicants you need a month.

Role

Hourly rate you will post

Clears $12.77 today. From January 1, 2027 the minimum is $13.75, so an ad still running then needs at least that.

Applicants you need a month 40

Warehouse / production · 82 campaigns

$393a month at the median

Middle half of campaigns: $126 – $749 a month, at $9.83 median per applicant.

Boostpoint’s minimum ad budget is $750 a month, about 76 applicants at this median.

Advertising cost only, not a quote. Cost per applicant is not cost per hire. Your Boostpoint subscription is separate from the ad budget.

Example ad with placeholder details

Your CompanySponsored

$13/hr · Warehouse associate in Virginia. Apply from your phone in about a minute.

VirginiaApply now

Screening question

Can you work on your feet for a full shift?

We build these ads for your roles and size the budget for your Virginia locations in a 30-minute demo.

Get my Virginia ads and budget

Source: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark — 891 Boostpoint-managed campaigns on Meta (1,334 campaign-months), 2026; advertising costs only.

Hiring hourly workers in Virginia?

We can tell you honestly whether your job ads are priced to the current wage floor — before you spend anything.

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Part of Boostpoint’s minimum wage by state series.