US employment law by state: the employer’s 50-state guide
In the United States, most employment law is set state by state, not federally. Pay transparency, non-competes, minimum wage, final pay and worker classification can all differ depending on where your employee works. These sortable 50-state trackers show where each state stands, with a primary source for every figure, and link to a full hiring guide for every state.
By-state trackers
Each tracker is a sortable table of all 50 states and DC on one theme, with the primary source for every figure and a link to that state’s full guide.
Employer payroll taxesThe 2026 new-employer unemployment rate, wage base, FUTA, employee taxes and all-in employer cost on a $60k hire, in every state and DC.
Final paycheckWhen final wages are due in each state, split by whether the employee was fired or quit.
Minimum wageThe 2026 minimum wage in every state, with the next scheduled change and tipped minimum.
Non-competeWhere employee non-competes are banned, income-limited or enforceable, now that the FTC's federal ban is gone.
Paid leaveWhich states mandate paid family and medical leave and paid sick leave, with in-force dates.
Pay transparencyWhich states require salary ranges in job postings, with thresholds, effective dates and salary-history bans.
Worker classificationThe employee-versus-contractor test each state uses, from strict ABC tests to common law.
Find your state
Every US state has its own hiring guide covering wage & hour, termination, worker classification, tax and leave. Pick a state to open its full guide.
50 state guides
- ALAlabama
- AKAlaska
- AZArizona
- ARArkansas
- CACalifornia
- COColorado
- CTConnecticut
- DEDelaware
- FLFlorida
- GAGeorgia
- HIHawaii
- IDIdaho
- ILIllinois
- INIndiana
- IAIowa
- KSKansas
- KYKentucky
- LALouisiana
- MEMaine
- MDMaryland
- MAMassachusetts
- MIMichigan
- MNMinnesota
- MSMississippi
- MOMissouri
- MTMontana
- NENebraska
- NVNevada
- NHNew Hampshire
- NJNew Jersey
- NMNew Mexico
- NYNew York
- NCNorth Carolina
- NDNorth Dakota
- OHOhio
- OKOklahoma
- OROregon
- PAPennsylvania
- RIRhode Island
- SCSouth Carolina
- SDSouth Dakota
- TNTennessee
- TXTexas
- UTUtah
- VTVermont
- VAVirginia
- WAWashington
- WVWest Virginia
- WIWisconsin
- WYWyoming
Two US pay rules change in the next two weeks
What happened
Florida’s lowest legal pay goes up to $15.00 an hour on 30 September. From 1 October, every Connecticut job advert must show the pay range and describe the benefits. Maine has set its 2027 rate at $15.70.
What it means for you
If you hire in Florida, raise pay to at least $15.00 from 30 September. If you advertise a job in Connecticut, add the pay range and a short note on benefits before 1 October.
Dates to know
- 30 September 2026Florida pay goes up to $15.00 an hour.
- 1 October 2026Connecticut job adverts must show pay and benefits.
- 1 January 2027Higher pay floors start in Maine, Colorado, California, Connecticut and Minnesota.
Source: Connecticut General Assembly. We check this page every week. Last checked .
US employment law is layered: a federal floor set by laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act and Title VII, with 50 states and DC free to add stronger rules on top. For employers hiring across the country, the hard part is that the state rules differ, change often, and apply based on where the employee works, not where the company is based. This hub brings the state-by-state picture into one place: thematic trackers that compare all 50 states and DC on a single question, such as whether a state requires pay ranges in job ads or how it treats non-competes, each linking down to that state's full hiring guide. When Teamed is your Employer of Record, meeting each state's rules is our job, not yours.
The big picture
US employment law is set state by state: there is no single federal rulebook for pay transparency, non-competes, final pay or most day-to-day employment duties. The rules that apply depend on the state your employee works in, and they change often.
Why does US employment law differ by state?
Because the US system leaves most employment regulation to the states. Federal law sets a floor, such as the federal minimum wage, overtime and anti-discrimination rules, but each state and DC can and does go further. So the rules that apply to your employee depend on the state they work in, not where your company is based.
What do these trackers cover?
Each tracker takes one theme and compares all 50 states and DC on it, with a primary source for every figure and a link to that state's full hiring guide. They cover minimum wage, paid leave, pay transparency, non-competes, final paycheck rules, employer payroll taxes and worker classification.
Hiring across the US?
What Teamed handles for you across the US
Teamed is the legal employer of your US team, so the state rules that differ from one another are ours to get right. You get one compliant relationship instead of fifty rulebooks to track.
These sit with us
- Registration and payroll tax in every state you hire in
- Minimum wage set to the state, county or city rate that applies
- Paid leave, final pay and pay transparency rules applied per state
- Employment agreements issued under the correct state's law
- Classification handled by employing directly
You keep
The role, the budget and the day-to-day management of your people. We carry the employment duties that come with being the legal employer.
There is no single US employment law. The rules that bind you are set by the state, and sometimes the city, where each person actually works.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a single federal US employment law?
No. There is a federal floor, for example the Fair Labor Standards Act on minimum wage and overtime and Title VII on discrimination, but most employment rules are set by each state and DC, and many go beyond the federal minimum.
Which state's law applies to my employee?
Generally the law of the state where the employee actually works, regardless of where your company is based. Remote employees are usually covered by the rules of the state they work from.
Do these pages give legal advice?
No. They are guides that summarise the current position with primary sources, reviewed as the law changes. For a specific situation, Teamed's HR and legal experts can advise, or speak to a qualified professional.
Hiring across the US means meeting 50 different rulebooks at once. When Teamed is your legal employer, we hold that complexity: compliant offers, postings and policies in every state, so you can hire anywhere in the US without opening 50 payrolls or reading 50 statutes.
