Here Is the Minimum Wage in Every State
The minimum wage is a legally set minimum amount that employers must pay their employees to be within the law. While most states have their own state minimum wage, in states that have not set one, they must accord with the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour.
While $7.25 per hour is barely a living wage in many states, it is all an employer is obligated to pay, which puts many workers in the position of having to work multiple jobs. According to The Balance, if minimum wage had kept up with cost of living (most easily determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index), it should have reached $10.15 in 2019. And, factoring in things like productivity and inflation, it should have been $24 by 2020. As it stands now, though, the highest minimum wage in America is $15 in California.
Many states have tried to rectify this imbalance by setting a higher minimum wage than the federal allowance. Here, GOBankingRates examines the minimum wage in every state, and notes any states where there are plans for increases in the future.
Tipped Minimum Wage
In some states you’ll notice that in addition to a minimum wage there is a “tipped minimum wage.” What this means is that certain employees who earn regular tips — such as waitresses, food servers and bartenders — may be paid a minimum wage lower than the state or federal minimum, so long as the tips make up the difference.
No State Minimum Wage (Federal Applies): $7.25
Five states never got around to setting their own state minimum wage: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Additionally, in Georgia and Wyoming, the listed minimum wage falls below $7.25 per hour. Therefore, all seven states must follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Federal Minimum Wage: $7.25
The going federal minimum wage of $7.25 has not budged since 2009, when it increased from $6.55, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. States with a minimum wage of $7.25 are:
- Alabama: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Georgia: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Idaho: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $3.35)
- Indiana: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Iowa: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $4.35)
- Kansas: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Kentucky: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Louisiana: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Mississippi: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- New Hampshire: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $3.26)
- North Carolina: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- North Dakota: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $4.86)
- Oklahoma: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Pennsylvania: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.83)
- South Carolina: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Tennessee: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Texas: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Utah: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
- Wisconsin: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.33)
- Wyoming: $7.25 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
$8 to $9
States with a minimum wage between $8 and $9 are:
- West Virginia: $8.75 (tipped minimum wage: $2.62)
- Nebraska: $9.00 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13)
$9.01 to $10
States with a minimum wage between $9.01 and $10 are:
- Montana: $9.20
- Ohio: $9.30 (tipped minimum wage: $4.65). Ohio’s minimum wage will increase to $15 by 2027.
- Michigan: $9.87 (tipped minimum wage: $3.75). Michigan’s minimum wage will go up to $12.05 by 2031.
- South Dakota: $9.95 (tipped minimum wage: $4.98)
$10.01 to $11
States with a minimum wage between $10.01 and $11 are:
- Hawaii: $10.10 (tipped minimum wage: $9.35)
- Minnesota: $10.33
- Alaska: $10.34
- Delaware: $10.50 (tipped minimum wage: $2.23). Delaware’s minimum wage will increase slowly at the start of the next three years, to $11.75 in 2023, $13.25 in 2024, and $15.00 in 2025.
- Nevada: $10.50
- Arkansas: $11 (tipped minimum wage: $2.63)
- Virginia: $11 (tipped minimum wage: $2.13). Virginia’s minimum wage will slowly increase to $15 by 2026.
- Florida: $11 (tipped minimum wage: $7.98) Florida’s minimum wage has been steadily increasing in increments of $1.00 until it reaches $15.00 on September 30, 2026.
$11.01 to $12
States with a minimum wage between $11.01 and $12 are:
- Missouri: $11.15 (tipped minimum wage: $5.58)
- New Mexico: $11.50 (tipped minimum wage: $2.80)
- Illinois: $12 (tipped minimum wage: $7.20). Illinois’s minimum wage is steadily increasing to $15 by 2025.
$12.01 to $13
States with a minimum wage between $12.01 and $13 are:
- Rhode Island: $12.25 (tipped minimum wage: $3.89). Rhode Island’s minimum wage aims to hit $15 by 2025.
- Maryland: $12.50 (tipped minimum wage: $3.63). Maryland’s minimum wage is steadily increasing to $15 by 2025.
- Vermont: $12.55 (tipped minimum wage: $6.28)
- Colorado: $12.56 (tipped minimum wage: $9.54)
- Maine: $12.75 (tipped minimum wage: $6.38)
- Arizona: $12.80 (tipped minimum wage: $9.80)
- New Jersey: $13.00 (tipped minimum wage: $5.13). New Jersey’s minimum wage will increase to $15 by 2024.
$13.01 to $14
States with a minimum wage between $13.01 and $14 are:
- New York: $13.20 (tipped minimum wage: $8.80). New York’s minimum wage will increase incrementally until it hits $15.
- Oregon: $13.50 (non-urban county minimum wage: $12.50, Portland metro minimum wage: $14.75)
- Connecticut: $14 (tipped wage: $6.38)
$14.01 to $15
States with a minimum wage between $14.01 and $15 are:
- Massachusetts: $14.25 (tipped minimum wage: $6.15). Massachusetts’ minimum wage will go up to $15 by 2023.
- Washington: $14.49.
- California: $15.00. California’s minimum wage will increase to $15.50 in response to inflation in 2023, according to the LA Times.
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