DENVER — Minimum wage workers in Denver will be making nearly $20 per hour come next year.

The City and County of Denver’s local minimum wage will increase to $19.29 from $18.81 beginning on January 1, 2026, officials with the city’s Department of Finance said last week.

The minimum wage for tipped food and beverage workers will be $16.27 per hour, up from $15.79 per hour in 2025, provided they earn at least $3.02 in actual tips.

The current state minimum wage is $14.81 per hour.

Denver, which already has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, will slot right behind the Seattle area, which is home to the highest minimum wage in the U.S.

These yearly increases stems from a 2019 measure, passed by Denver City Council, that ties the minimum wage to the consumer price index.

In

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