Last verified: October 12, 2026 · By StateWise Research Desk · 51 jurisdictions · Every figure below was checked against an official .gov source — the state’s own labor department, or the U.S. Department of Labor’s consolidated table where noted. Corrections policy.
Every U.S. state sets its own minimum wage — or defaults to the federal $7.25 floor. This page lists the 2026 standard minimum wage for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in one comparison table.
Key takeaways
- Highest: District of Columbia at $18.40/hr (effective July 1, 2026). The highest state is Washington at $17.13.
- Lowest: 20 states sit at the federal floor of $7.25 — 5 of them have no state minimum wage law at all (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee).
- 19 states raised their wage on January 1, 2026.
- Mid-2026 changes already in effect: Alaska ($14.00), D.C. ($18.40) and Oregon (three tiers) on July 1; Florida hit $15.00 on September 30, 2026.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has not changed since 2009. In 2026, 23 states raised their rates — 19 on January 1, plus four mid-year. Twenty states remain at the federal $7.25 floor; five have no state minimum wage law at all.
Rates cross-checked against each state’s labor department and the U.S. DOL consolidated table.
| Effective | Next change | Notes & Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | No state minimum wage law; federal $7.25 applies. U.S. DOL |
| Alaska CHANGED MID-YEAR | $14.00 | Jul 1, 2026 | $15.00 on Jul 1, 2027 | Was $13.00 from Jul 1, 2025. Ballot Measure 1 schedules $15.00 for Jul 1, 2027. Alaska DOL |
| Arizona CHANGED JAN 1 | $15.15 | Jan 1, 2026 | $15.65 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $14.70. Industrial Commission 2027 poster (ICA) |
| Arkansas NO CHANGE | $11.00 | Jan 1, 2021 | No change scheduled | No 2026 change. Covers employers with 4 or more employees. Arkansas DOL |
| California CHANGED JAN 1 | $16.90 | Jan 1, 2026 | $17.40 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $16.50. Higher rates apply to fast food, certain health care workers, and some cities and counties. California DIR 2026 wage order 2027 announcement (DIR) |
| Colorado CHANGED JAN 1 | $15.16 | Jan 1, 2026 | $15.71 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $14.81. Denver and Edgewater have higher local rates. Colorado CDLE 2027 announcement (CDLE) |
| Connecticut CHANGED JAN 1 | $16.94 | Jan 1, 2026 | $17.48 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $16.35; indexed to the Employment Cost Index. Connecticut Governor 2027 announcement |
| Delaware NO CHANGE | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2025 | No change scheduled | No 2026 change; reached $15.00 under Senate Bill 15 and is not indexed. Delaware DOL |
| District of Columbia CHANGED MID-YEAR | $18.40 | Jul 1, 2026 | Indexed — adjusted each July 1 | Was $17.95 from Jul 1, 2025. Adjusted annually each July 1 for inflation. D.C. DOES |
| Florida CHANGED MID-YEAR | $15.00 | Sep 30, 2026 | Indexed — next adjustment Jan 1, 2028 | Was $14.00 through Sep 29, 2026. Next: inflation adjustment calculated Sep 30, 2027, effective Jan 1, 2028. The DOL consolidated table still shows the earlier rate. FloridaCommerce |
| Georgia FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State rate is $5.15; the federal $7.25 applies to covered workers. U.S. DOL |
| Hawaii CHANGED JAN 1 | $16.00 | Jan 1, 2026 | $18.00 on Jan 1, 2028 | Changed from $14.00. The next scheduled step is $18.00 on Jan 1, 2028. Hawaii Governor Hawaii DLIR |
| Idaho FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Illinois NO CHANGE | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2025 | No change scheduled | No 2026 statewide change. Chicago and Cook County have separate local rates. Illinois DOL |
| Indiana FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Iowa FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Kansas FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Kentucky FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Louisiana FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | No state minimum wage law; federal $7.25 applies. U.S. DOL |
| Maine CHANGED JAN 1 | $15.10 | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — announced in September | Changed from $14.65; adjusted annually using CPI-W. Portland has a higher local rate. Maine DOL posters |
| Maryland NO CHANGE | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2025 | No change scheduled | No 2026 statewide change. Montgomery County has higher local rates. Maryland Labor |
| Massachusetts NO CHANGE | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2023 | No change scheduled | No 2026 change; the rate is not indexed. Mass.gov |
| Michigan CHANGED JAN 1 | $13.73 | Jan 1, 2026 | $15.00 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $12.48. The next scheduled rate is $15.00 on Jan 1, 2027, then CPI indexing. Michigan LEO |
| Minnesota CHANGED JAN 1 | $11.41 | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — announcement pending | Changed from $11.13. No tip credit; Minneapolis and St. Paul have higher local rates. Minnesota DLI |
| Mississippi FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | No state minimum wage law; federal $7.25 applies. U.S. DOL |
| Missouri CHANGED JAN 1 | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2026 | No automatic increase scheduled | Changed from $13.75. A 2025 law removed automatic CPI adjustments beginning in 2027. Missouri DOL release Missouri DOL |
| Montana CHANGED JAN 1 | $10.85 | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — announcement pending | Changed from $10.55; adjusted annually for inflation. A $4.00 exception can apply to certain non-FLSA businesses with gross sales at or below $110,000. No tip credit. Montana DLI |
| Nebraska CHANGED JAN 1 | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed from Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $13.50 under a 2022 voter initiative. CPI adjustments begin in 2027. Nebraska DOL |
| Nevada NO CHANGE | $12.00 | Jul 1, 2024 | No change scheduled | No 2026 change. A single rate applies statewide; there is no tip credit. Nevada Labor Commissioner |
| New Hampshire FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| New Jersey CHANGED JAN 1 | $15.92 | Jan 1, 2026 | $16.48 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $15.49. Seasonal and small employers: $15.23; farmworkers: $14.20. 2027: $16.48 ($16.25 small/seasonal; $6.61 tipped cash). New Jersey DOL 2027 announcement (NJDOL) |
| New Mexico NO CHANGE | $12.00 | Jan 1, 2023 | No change scheduled | No 2026 statewide change. Santa Fe and Las Cruces have higher local rates. U.S. DOL |
| New York CHANGED JAN 1 | $17.00 NYC, Long Island & Westchester / $16.00 rest of state | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — announcement pending | Changed from $16.50 and $15.50, respectively. Inflation indexing begins in 2027. New York Governor |
| North Carolina FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| North Dakota FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Ohio CHANGED JAN 1 | $11.00 | Jan 1, 2026 | $11.40 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $10.70. Applies to employers with annual gross receipts over $405,000; smaller employers and workers age 14–15 are at $7.25. Next: $11.40 on Jan 1, 2027. Ohio Commerce |
| Oklahoma FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor; a $2.00 rate exists only for certain small employers outside FLSA coverage. U.S. DOL |
| Oregon CHANGED MID-YEAR | $15.55 standard / $16.80 Portland metro / $14.55 nonurban | Jul 1, 2026 | Indexed — adjusted each July 1 | Previously $15.05 / $16.30 / $14.05. Rates adjust annually each July 1. Oregon BOLI Rate schedule |
| Pennsylvania FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Rhode Island CHANGED JAN 1 | $16.00 | Jan 1, 2026 | $17.00 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $15.00. The next scheduled rate is $17.00 on Jan 1, 2027. Rhode Island DLT |
| South Carolina FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | No state minimum wage law; federal $7.25 applies. U.S. DOL |
| South Dakota CHANGED JAN 1 | $11.85 | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — announcement pending | Changed from $11.50; adjusted annually for inflation. South Dakota DLR |
| Tennessee FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | No state minimum wage law; federal $7.25 applies. U.S. DOL |
| Texas FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Utah FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Vermont CHANGED JAN 1 | $14.42 | Jan 1, 2026 | Indexed — announcement pending | Changed from $14.01; adjusted annually for inflation. Vermont DOL |
| Virginia CHANGED JAN 1 | $12.77 | Jan 1, 2026 | $13.75 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $12.41. Scheduled: $13.75 on Jan 1, 2027 and $15.00 on Jan 1, 2028. Virginia DOLI |
| Washington CHANGED JAN 1 | $17.13 | Jan 1, 2026 | $17.73 on Jan 1, 2027 | Changed from $16.66; adjusted annually using CPI-W. Several cities have higher local rates. Washington ESD 2027 announcement (L&I) |
| West Virginia NO CHANGE | $8.75 | Jan 1, 2016 | No change scheduled | No 2026 change. Applies where 6 or more non-exempt employees work at one location; otherwise the federal floor applies. West Virginia Labor |
| Wisconsin FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State minimum wage equals the federal floor. U.S. DOL |
| Wyoming FEDERAL FLOOR | $7.25 (federal) | — | No change scheduled | State rate is $5.15; the federal $7.25 applies to covered workers. U.S. DOL |
51 jurisdictions
Common questions
- Tipped minimum wage by state — the tipped cash wage and tip credit for all 50 states + D.C., including the seven states with no tip credit.
- Minimum wage vs. living wage — what the $7.25 federal floor actually covers, and how far it falls short of a living wage.
Frequently asked questions
Why do 20 states show the federal $7.25? Five — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee — have no state minimum wage law at all, so the federal rate applies. Georgia and Wyoming have state laws setting $5.15, below the federal floor, so the federal $7.25 applies to covered employers there. The rest set $7.25 explicitly.
Why does New York have two minimum wages? $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County; $16.00 in the rest of the state.
Why does Oregon have three? $16.80 in the Portland metro area, $15.55 standard, $14.55 in nonurban counties. All three adjust every July 1.
Do cities set their own minimum wages? Yes. City and county rates can exceed the state rate (e.g., Denver, Seattle, Chicago) and are not listed in this table.
What about New Jersey and Ohio? New Jersey: $15.92 standard; small and seasonal employers pay $15.23. Ohio's $11.00 applies to employers with annual gross receipts above $405,000; smaller employers follow the federal $7.25.
Methodology
On October 9, 2026, every rate above $7.25 was verified against the state’s own labor department or governor’s office (.gov), except New Mexico, which was confirmed via the U.S. Department of Labor’s consolidated table. The 20 states at or below the federal floor were confirmed via the U.S. Department of Labor’s consolidated minimum wage table (effective July 1, 2026). One catch during research: the DOL table still lists Florida at $14.00 — Florida’s increase to $15.00 took effect September 30, 2026, after the table’s last revision, so the table above uses the Florida state source.
Changelog
- October 9, 2026: Page published — 2026 rates for all 50 states + D.C., verified against .gov sources.
- October 12, 2026: 2027 rates announced — Washington ($17.73), California ($17.40), Colorado ($15.71), Arizona ($15.65), New Jersey ($16.48) and Connecticut ($17.48), all effective January 1, 2027. Announcement links added to each row.
This page is general reference information, not legal or tax advice. Minimum wage laws carry exemptions (tipped workers, minors, small employers, agricultural work). Confirm your situation with your state's labor department before making decisions. Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.