The Minimum Wage in Every State
By Eddy Team — Updated September 2024
On June 25, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) and gave birth to the concept of “minimum wage” in America. At the time, the minimum hourly wage for the American worker was set at 25 cents. It wasn’t much, but it was an improvement from what many laborers were earning at the time.
What is a minimum wage?
A minimum wage mandate is enforced by federal and state governments and determines the lowest amount of money employers can pay their workers.
What is the federal minimum wage?
Since its enactment in 1938, the federal minimum wage has risen 30x what it was over 80 years ago. The federal minimum wage now stands at $7.25 per hour. Many states have adopted wages even higher, with the state of California leading the charge.
When was the current federal minimum wage set?
Over the course of history, Congress has changed the federal minimum wage 22 times. The last time was in 2009 when Congress moved to increase the minimum wage from $6.55 to $7.25. Check out this graph to see a full history of how the federal minimum wage has changed over time.
Are there exceptions to the federal minimum wage?
Yes, there are a few exceptions. For example, employees who receive tips for their work are not required to be paid minimum wage. Additionally, some farm and seasonal workers may be exempt.
Certain states have also created exemptions. For example, in Wyoming, employees under the age of 20 can be paid a “training wage” of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of work. In Georgia, full-time student workers can be paid 85% of the minimum wage, or $6.16 per hour, for up to 20 hours of work per week while school is in session.
What you need to know
HR professionals and business owners must be aware of the minimum wage in every state in which they do business. As states regularly change their minimum wage rate, it’s important to regularly check-in and confirm your company is compliant with updated laws and regulations.
In 2020 alone, 24 different states have made changes to their minimum wage requirements, and we expect to see even more changes made in the coming year.
Minimum wage for each state
To help you in your effort to maintain compliance, here is a list of the minimum wage in every state in America.
- Alabama — $7.25
- Alaska — $11.73
- Arizona — $14.35
- Arkansas — $11.00
- California — $16.00
- Colorado — $14.42
- Connecticut — $15.69 (The Connecticut minimum wage rate automatically increases to 1/2 of 1 percent above the rate set in the Fair Labor Standards Act if the Federal minimum wage rate equals or becomes higher than the State minimum.)
- Delaware — $13.25
- D.C. — $17.50
- Florida — $13.00
- Georgia — $7.25
- Hawaii — $14.00
- Idaho — $7.25
- Illinois — $14.00
- Indiana — $7.25
- Iowa — $7.25
- Kansas — $7.25
- Kentucky — $7.25
- Louisiana — $7.25
- Maine — $14.15
- Maryland — $15.00
- Massachusetts — $15.00 (The Massachusetts minimum wage rate automatically increases to 10 cents above the rate set in the Fair Labor Standards Act if the Federal minimum wage equals or becomes higher than the State minimum.)
- Michigan — $10.33
- Minnesota — $10.85/$8.85 (For large employers, with an annual sales volume of $500,000 or more, the minimum wage is currently $10.85; for small employers, those with an annual sales volume of less than $500,000, the minimum wage is $8.85.)
- Mississippi — $7.25
- Missouri — $12.30 (In addition to the exemption for federally covered employment, the law exempts, among others, employees of a retail or service business with gross annual sales or business done of less than $500,000.)
- Montana — $10.30 (Employers with annual sales of less than $110,000 may pay $4.00 an hour.)
- Nebraska — $12.00
- Nevada — $12.00
- New Hampshire — $7.25
- New Jersey — $15.13 (New Jersey's statewide new minimum wage is $15.13 per hour for most employees. For seasonal and small employers, the minimum hourly wage is $13.73 an hour.)
- New Mexico — $12.00
- New York — $15.00/16.00 (The new minimum wage varies across the state based on geographical location and, in New York City, employer size.)
- North Carolina — $7.25
- North Dakota — $7.25
- Ohio — $10.45
- Oklahoma — $7.25
- Oregon — $14.70
- Pennsylvania — $7.25
- Rhode Island — $14.00
- South Carolina — $7.25
- South Dakota — $11.20
- Tennessee — $7.25
- Texas — $7.25
- Utah — $7.25
- Vermont — $13.67
- Virginia — $12.00
- Washington — $16.28
- West Virginia — $8.75
- Wisconsin — $7.25
- Wyoming — $7.25
Of the 50 states (and Washington DC) listed above, 20 states stick to the federal minimum of $7.25, while 28 states pay $10.00 or more.
For more tips, advice, and information on all things human resources, check out our blog! We post multiple articles each week that help HR professionals stay compliant, improve performance, and build great teams.
DISCLAIMER: Eddy is not a legal, tax, benefit, accounting, or investment advisor. This article is written solely for informational purposes. It is not meant to provide legal, regulatory, or tax advice. We recommend speaking to a legal, tax, or accounting professional before making any decisions.
Additional Resources
HR Encyclopedia
Minimum Wage
Eddy's HR Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter for helpful HR advice and ideas.
The Minimum Wage in Every State
By Eddy Team — Updated September 2024
On June 25, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) and gave birth to the concept of “minimum wage” in America. At the time, the minimum hourly wage for the American worker was set at 25 cents. It wasn’t much, but it was an improvement from what many laborers were earning at the time.
What is a minimum wage?
A minimum wage mandate is enforced by federal and state governments and determines the lowest amount of money employers can pay their workers.
What is the federal minimum wage?
Since its enactment in 1938, the federal minimum wage has risen 30x what it was over 80 years ago. The federal minimum wage now stands at $7.25 per hour. Many states have adopted wages even higher, with the state of California leading the charge.
When was the current federal minimum wage set?
Over the course of history, Congress has changed the federal minimum wage 22 times. The last time was in 2009 when Congress moved to increase the minimum wage from $6.55 to $7.25. Check out this graph to see a full history of how the federal minimum wage has changed over time.
Are there exceptions to the federal minimum wage?
Yes, there are a few exceptions. For example, employees who receive tips for their work are not required to be paid minimum wage. Additionally, some farm and seasonal workers may be exempt.
Certain states have also created exemptions. For example, in Wyoming, employees under the age of 20 can be paid a “training wage” of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of work. In Georgia, full-time student workers can be paid 85% of the minimum wage, or $6.16 per hour, for up to 20 hours of work per week while school is in session.
What you need to know
HR professionals and business owners must be aware of the minimum wage in every state in which they do business. As states regularly change their minimum wage rate, it’s important to regularly check-in and confirm your company is compliant with updated laws and regulations.
In 2020 alone, 24 different states have made changes to their minimum wage requirements, and we expect to see even more changes made in the coming year.
Minimum wage for each state
To help you in your effort to maintain compliance, here is a list of the minimum wage in every state in America.
- Alabama — $7.25
- Alaska — $11.73
- Arizona — $14.35
- Arkansas — $11.00
- California — $16.00
- Colorado — $14.42
- Connecticut — $15.69 (The Connecticut minimum wage rate automatically increases to 1/2 of 1 percent above the rate set in the Fair Labor Standards Act if the Federal minimum wage rate equals or becomes higher than the State minimum.)
- Delaware — $13.25
- D.C. — $17.50
- Florida — $13.00
- Georgia — $7.25
- Hawaii — $14.00
- Idaho — $7.25
- Illinois — $14.00
- Indiana — $7.25
- Iowa — $7.25
- Kansas — $7.25
- Kentucky — $7.25
- Louisiana — $7.25
- Maine — $14.15
- Maryland — $15.00
- Massachusetts — $15.00 (The Massachusetts minimum wage rate automatically increases to 10 cents above the rate set in the Fair Labor Standards Act if the Federal minimum wage equals or becomes higher than the State minimum.)
- Michigan — $10.33
- Minnesota — $10.85/$8.85 (For large employers, with an annual sales volume of $500,000 or more, the minimum wage is currently $10.85; for small employers, those with an annual sales volume of less than $500,000, the minimum wage is $8.85.)
- Mississippi — $7.25
- Missouri — $12.30 (In addition to the exemption for federally covered employment, the law exempts, among others, employees of a retail or service business with gross annual sales or business done of less than $500,000.)
- Montana — $10.30 (Employers with annual sales of less than $110,000 may pay $4.00 an hour.)
- Nebraska — $12.00
- Nevada — $12.00
- New Hampshire — $7.25
- New Jersey — $15.13 (New Jersey's statewide new minimum wage is $15.13 per hour for most employees. For seasonal and small employers, the minimum hourly wage is $13.73 an hour.)
- New Mexico — $12.00
- New York — $15.00/16.00 (The new minimum wage varies across the state based on geographical location and, in New York City, employer size.)
- North Carolina — $7.25
- North Dakota — $7.25
- Ohio — $10.45
- Oklahoma — $7.25
- Oregon — $14.70
- Pennsylvania — $7.25
- Rhode Island — $14.00
- South Carolina — $7.25
- South Dakota — $11.20
- Tennessee — $7.25
- Texas — $7.25
- Utah — $7.25
- Vermont — $13.67
- Virginia — $12.00
- Washington — $16.28
- West Virginia — $8.75
- Wisconsin — $7.25
- Wyoming — $7.25
Of the 50 states (and Washington DC) listed above, 20 states stick to the federal minimum of $7.25, while 28 states pay $10.00 or more.
For more tips, advice, and information on all things human resources, check out our blog! We post multiple articles each week that help HR professionals stay compliant, improve performance, and build great teams.
DISCLAIMER: Eddy is not a legal, tax, benefit, accounting, or investment advisor. This article is written solely for informational purposes. It is not meant to provide legal, regulatory, or tax advice. We recommend speaking to a legal, tax, or accounting professional before making any decisions.
Additional Resources
HR Encyclopedia
Minimum Wage
Eddy's HR Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter for helpful HR advice and ideas.
