Minimum wage by state (2026): the full 50-state rate table
Reviewed 1 July 2026
The federal minimum wage is still $7.25. As of 1 October 2026, 31 of the 51 US jurisdictions set a higher minimum, 19 of them at $15.00 or more, while 20 use the federal floor.
Vermont sets its pay floor for 2027
What happened
On 9 November, Vermont said its lowest legal pay will go up on 1 January 2027. It rises from $14.42 to $14.91 an hour. Staff who get tips must be paid at least $7.46, up from $7.21.
What it means for you
If you have staff in Vermont, check their pay before January. Pay floors go up in at least 16 states that day. New York is the big one that stays the same.
Dates to know
- 1 January 2027Vermont goes up to $14.91. New York stays at $17.00 and $16.00. South Dakota goes up to $12.30 and Montana to $11.20.
- 1 January 2027Washington $17.73, Connecticut $17.48, California $17.40, Rhode Island $17.00, New Jersey $16.48, Colorado $15.71, Maine $15.70.
- 1 January 2027Arizona $15.65, Nebraska $15.26, Michigan $15.00, Virginia $13.75, Minnesota $11.87, Ohio $11.40.
- 1 March 2027New York could go up to $17.60 and $16.55, but only if lawmakers agree.
- 1 January 2028Florida, now at $15.00, goes up again in step with prices.
Source: Vermont Department of Labor. We check this page every week. Last checked .
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has not changed since 2009, so most of the real floor is set by the states. As of 1 October 2026, most states set their own minimum above the federal rate, many index it to inflation each year, and a growing number are at or above $15.00. A handful of states have no minimum of their own, or one below the federal rate, so the federal $7.25 applies there. Tipped minimums, and whether an employer can take a tip credit at all, also vary by state. Because several states raise their rate mid-year, this table shows the rate in force on 1 October 2026.
The big picture
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009. As of 1 October 2026, 31 of the 51 US jurisdictions (50 states and DC) set a minimum wage above it, 19 are at or above $15.00, and 20 use the federal $7.25. Many states index their rate to inflation, so the map rises each year.
Position as at 1 October 2026. Source.
What is the federal minimum wage in 2026?
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and has not changed since 2009. It sets a floor, but a state (or a city) can set a higher rate, and most do. Where a state has no minimum or a lower one, the federal $7.25 applies.
Which states have the highest minimum wage?
Washington, California and several New England states, plus DC, sit at the top, with DC and Washington among the highest. Many of these states index their minimum to inflation, so the rates rise automatically each year. The table lists the exact 2026 figure for every state.
Do tipped workers have a different minimum?
Often yes. Many states let employers pay a lower cash wage to tipped workers and count tips toward the minimum (a tip credit), while a growing group require the full minimum regardless of tips. The tipped-minimum column shows each state's position.
What Teamed handles on US minimum wage
- Highest federal, state or city rate
- Mid-year increases applied on time
- Tipped wage rules per state
Minimum wage by state
51 jurisdictions
| Source | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $15 or more | $15.15 | $15.65 on 2027-01-01 (set by the statutory formula; state notice pending) | $12.15 | source |
| California | $15 or more | $16.90 | $17.40 on 2027-01-01 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| Colorado | $15 or more | $15.16 | $15.71 on 2027-01-01 | $12.14 | source |
| Connecticut | $15 or more | $16.94 | $17.48 on 2027-01-01 | $6.38 (waitstaff), $8.23 (bartenders) | source |
| Delaware | $15 or more | $15.00 | None scheduled | $2.23 | source |
| District of Columbia | $15 or more | $18.40 | Indexed to CPI annually | $10.30 | source |
| Florida | $15 or more | $15.00 | Indexed annually from 2027; next change 2028-01-01 | $11.98 | source |
| Hawaii | $15 or more | $16.00 | $18.00 on 2028-01-01 | $14.75 | source |
| Illinois | $15 or more | $15.00 | None scheduled | $9.00 | source |
| Maine | $15 or more | $15.10 | $15.70 on 2027-01-01 | $7.55 | source |
| Maryland | $15 or more | $15.00 | None scheduled | $3.63 | source |
| Massachusetts | $15 or more | $15.00 | None scheduled | $6.75 | source |
| Missouri | $15 or more | $15.00 | None scheduled | $7.50 | source |
| Nebraska | $15 or more | $15.00 | $15.26 on 2027-01-01 | $2.13 | source |
| New Jersey | $15 or more | $15.92 | $16.48 on 2027-01-01 | $6.05 | source |
| New York | $15 or more | $17.00 (NYC, Long Island, Westchester); $16.00 (rest of state) | None on 2027-01-01: the state confirmed the inflation rise is paused under Labor Law 652(1-b)(d). A rise to $17.60 / $16.55 from 2027-03-01 is proposed, not law | $11.35 (NYC, LI, Westchester); $10.70 (rest of state), food service | source |
| Oregon | $15 or more | $15.55 standard; $16.80 Portland metro; $14.55 non-urban | Indexed to inflation; next change 2027-07-01 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| Rhode Island | $15 or more | $16.00 | $17.00 on 2027-01-01 | $3.89 | source |
| Washington | $15 or more | $17.13 | $17.73 on 2027-01-01 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| Alaska | Above federal | $14.00 | $15.00 on 2027-07-01 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| Arkansas | Above federal | $11.00 | None scheduled | $2.63 | source |
| Michigan | Above federal | $13.73 | $15.00 on 2027-01-01 | $5.49 | source |
| Minnesota | Above federal | $11.41 | $11.87 on 2027-01-01 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| Montana | Above federal | $10.85 | $11.20 on 2027-01-01 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| Nevada | Above federal | $12.00 | None scheduled | Same as minimum (no tip credit) | source |
| New Mexico | Above federal | $12.00 | None scheduled | $3.00 | source |
| Ohio | Above federal | $11.00 | $11.40 on 2027-01-01 | $5.50 | source |
| South Dakota | Above federal | $11.85 | $12.30 on 2027-01-01 (tipped $6.15) | $5.93 | source |
| Vermont | Above federal | $14.42 | $14.91 on 2027-01-01 (tipped $7.46) | $7.21 | source |
| Virginia | Above federal | $12.77 | $13.75 on 2027-01-01; $15.00 on 2028-01-01 | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| West Virginia | Above federal | $8.75 | None scheduled | $2.62 | source |
| Alabama | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Georgia | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Idaho | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $3.35 | source |
| Indiana | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Iowa | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $4.35 | source |
| Kansas | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Kentucky | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Louisiana | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Mississippi | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| New Hampshire | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $3.27 | source |
| North Carolina | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| North Dakota | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $4.86 | source |
| Oklahoma | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled (SQ 832 rejected by voters 16 Jun 2026) | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Pennsylvania | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.83 | source |
| South Carolina | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Tennessee | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Texas | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Utah | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
| Wisconsin | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.33 | source |
| Wyoming | Federal $7.25 | $7.25 (federal) | None scheduled | $2.13 (federal) | source |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 federal minimum wage?
It is $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009. States and cities can and mostly do set higher rates.
Do minimum wages change during the year?
Yes. Most increases take effect on 1 January, but several states raise their rate mid-year, for example on 1 July, and some index to inflation. This table shows the rate in force on 1 October 2026.
Can Teamed handle this across multiple states?
Yes. As the legal employer, Teamed applies each state's minimum wage rules for your US team, so you hire across the country without setting up payroll or reading the statute in every state. Teamed's HR and legal experts keep it compliant as the law changes.
US employment law is set state by state, and it keeps moving. When Teamed is your legal employer, this is our job in every state: compliant offers, postings and policies that meet each state’s rules, so you can hire across the US without setting up 50 payrolls or reading 50 statutes.
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