Money & Benefits · Tracker
State minimum wages, and 2027 changes
The basic hourly minimum in each state as the Labor Department lists it, updated July 1, 2026, with the increases scheduled for January 1, 2027 added state by state as they are confirmed.
Last verified · refreshed on-event
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, and it is the floor in the states that have no higher rate of their own. Thirty states and the District of Columbia set a higher minimum, and many of them adjust it every January, some by a fixed schedule written into law and some by an inflation formula announced in the fall. The Department of Labor keeps the state-by-state table; the rates below are from its July 1, 2026 update.
Many states have tipped-wage rules, youth rates, small-employer rates and city or county minimums above the state figure. The table shows the basic state rate only, which is the one most employers must pay. Scheduled 2027 increases are added as each state’s law or announcement is checked.
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| State | Basic minimum, per hour | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
| Alaska | $14.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Arizona | $15.15 | — | dol.gov |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | — | dol.gov |
| California | $16.90 | — | dol.gov |
| Colorado | $15.16 | — | dol.gov |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | — | dol.gov |
| Delaware | $15.00 | — | dol.gov |
| District of Columbia | $18.40 | — | dol.gov |
| Florida | $14.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Georgia | $5.15 | Below the federal $7.25, which applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Idaho | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Illinois | $15.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Indiana | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Iowa | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Kansas | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Louisiana | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
| Maine | $15.10 | — | dol.gov |
| Maryland | $15.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Michigan | $13.73 | — | dol.gov |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | — | dol.gov |
| Mississippi | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
| Missouri | $15.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Montana | $10.85 | — | dol.gov |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Nevada | $12.00 | — | dol.gov |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | — | dol.gov |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | — | dol.gov |
| New York | $17.00 | — | dol.gov |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Ohio | $11.00 | — | dol.gov |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Oregon | $15.55 | — | dol.gov |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | — | dol.gov |
| South Carolina | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | — | dol.gov |
| Tennessee | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
| Texas | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Utah | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Vermont | $14.42 | — | dol.gov |
| Virginia | $12.77 | — | dol.gov |
| Washington | $17.13 | — | dol.gov |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | — | dol.gov |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | Federal rate | dol.gov |
| Wyoming | $5.15 | Below the federal $7.25, which applies to covered employers | dol.gov |
What to do
- Check the DOL table for your state’s notes on overtime, tipped wages and youth rates, which vary far more than the basic rate. Official link
- If you are paid less than the applicable minimum, the Wage and Hour Division takes complaints directly. Official link
Questions readers ask
- What is the federal minimum wage?
- $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009. Where a state or city sets a higher rate, the higher rate applies, and most workers are covered by a state minimum above the federal floor.
- Which states raise their minimum wage in January?
- Many states index their minimum wage to inflation and adjust it on January 1; others raise it on July 1 or on a schedule set by statute. The table lists the current rate in every state and the changes announced for 2027.
- Does the minimum wage apply to tipped workers?
- Federal law allows a lower cash wage for tipped workers as long as tips bring them to the full minimum; many states set a higher tipped wage or require the full minimum before tips. The state’s labor department page linked in the table gives the tipped rule.
Dates ahead
- State minimum wage increases scheduled for January 1 take effect
Mentioned:U.S. Department of Labor
How we reported this
Built from the documents in the Source Card. Rates entered from the Department of Labor table (July 1, 2026 update) on September 4, 2026; scheduled 2027 increases are added as they are confirmed.
Written by Mirza Seraj Baig · Checked against the documents in the source card (editorial standards).
Updates
- Rates entered from the Department of Labor table (July 1, 2026 update) on September 4, 2026; scheduled 2027 increases are added as they are confirmed.