Living Wage Ordinance

As of July 1, 2024, the current living wage is $16.23 per hour. 

The living wage is adjusted annually on July 1 based on the prior calendar year’s Consumer Price Index.  A citizen sponsored initiative to have a Living Wage was passed by voters in November, 1999.

Following passage, the City Council developed implementing language, adopted as Corvallis Municipal Code chapter 1.25. The basic concepts of the Living Wage are:

• The Living Wage was set at $9.00 per hour in wages or wages plus medical benefits, with an annual inflator tied to the Consumer Price Index.
• The Living Wage applies to most contracts for service that the City of Corvallis enters into that exceed $10,000 per year.
• The Living Wage applies to most employees of the contractor, with exceptions identified in section 1.25.050 of the Municipal Code (attached).
• Voluntary compliance is expected from all vendors, but a complaint process was developed to allow employees to seek an investigation by the City if they believed that they were entitled to earn the Living Wage but were not paid a Living Wage.

Employee Sign Notification

Employers are required to post information about the Living Wage in an area where employees may easily review the information.

Employee Sign notifications are available in Adobe PDF format below in both English and Spanish for the current Living Wage:

• Employee Notification Signage (English)
• Employee Notification Signage (Spanish)

Living Wage Bid Certification

If a company successfully bids on a city contract, that firm will be required to sign a contract that states that it agree to comply with the Living Wage in the following manner (mark all that apply):

________ All employees who will work on the City's contract earn more than $16.23 per hour in wages.

________ All employees who will work on the City's contract earn more than $16.23 per hour in combined wages and medical benefits.

________ The bidding firm qualifies for an exception to the Living Wage ordinance (please specify)