Free · ranked · 2026
Minimum wage by state, 2026
Every US state and DC, ranked from highest to lowest, with how far each sits above the federal floor of $7.25/hour. Each rate is citation-backed and effective-dated. The headline number is the general rate — tipped, youth, small-employer, and city-ordinance variants differ, and that's where compliance actually lives (see below).
Snapshot retrieved 2026-06-28. Browse cities & counties too →
Highest in 2026
- 1. District of Columbia$17.50
- 2. Washington$16.66
- 3. California$16.50
- 4. Connecticut$16.35
- 5. New York$15.50
At the federal floor ($7.25)
20 states have no minimum wage above the federal $7.25/hour — so the FLSA floor is the binding rate for covered employers there.
Alabama · Georgia · Idaho · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Mississippi · New Hampshire · North Carolina · North Dakota · Oklahoma · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Wisconsin · Wyoming
All states & DC, ranked
| # | Jurisdiction | Min wage | vs federal | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $17.50 | +$10.25 | Jul 1, 2025 |
| 2 | Washington | $16.66 | +$9.41 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 3 | California | $16.50 | +$9.25 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $16.35 | +$9.10 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 5 | New York | $15.50 | +$8.25 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $15.49 | +$8.24 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 7 | Delaware | $15.00 | +$7.75 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 8 | Illinois | $15.00 | +$7.75 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 9 | Maryland | $15.00 | +$7.75 | Jan 1, 2024 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $15.00 | +$7.75 | Jan 1, 2023 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $15.00 | +$7.75 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 12 | Colorado | $14.81 | +$7.56 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 13 | Arizona | $14.70 | +$7.45 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 14 | Oregon | $14.70 | +$7.45 | Jul 1, 2024 |
| 15 | Maine | $14.65 | +$7.40 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 16 | Vermont | $14.01 | +$6.76 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $14.00 | +$6.75 | Jan 1, 2024 |
| 18 | Missouri | $13.75 | +$6.50 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $13.50 | +$6.25 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 20 | Florida | $13.00 | +$5.75 | Sep 30, 2024 |
| 21 | Michigan | $12.48 | +$5.23 | Feb 21, 2025 |
| 22 | Virginia | $12.41 | +$5.16 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 23 | Nevada | $12.00 | +$4.75 | Jul 1, 2024 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $12.00 | +$4.75 | Jan 1, 2023 |
| 25 | Alaska | $11.91 | +$4.66 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $11.50 | +$4.25 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $11.13 | +$3.88 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $11.00 | +$3.75 | Jan 1, 2021 |
| 29 | Ohio | $10.70 | +$3.45 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 30 | Montana | $10.55 | +$3.30 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $8.75 | +$1.50 | Jan 1, 2016 |
| 32 | Alabama | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 33 | Georgia | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 34 | Idaho | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 35 | Indiana | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 36 | Iowa | $7.25 | — | Jan 1, 2008 |
| 37 | Kansas | $7.25 | — | Jan 1, 2010 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $7.25 | — | Jul 1, 2009 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 48 | Texas | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 49 | Utah | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2008 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $7.25 | — | Jul 24, 2009 |
The number is the easy part
A state rate answers one question. Paying people legally — and proving it — means the tipped/youth/small-employer variants, the city ordinances above the state floor, the scheduled increases already on the books, and a citation for each. That's the maintained, cited dataset.