Federal Minimum Wage by State – 2025 & 2026

The federal minimum wage for 2026 is $7.25 per hour. Some states and countries have raised their own minimum wages since it has not been increased since July 2009.

What Is The Minimum Wage?

The minimum wage rate can be defined as “the minimum amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay wage earners for the work performed during a given period, which cannot be reduced by collective agreement or an individual contract.”

In the US, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes a minimum wage for employees in the private sector and Federal, State, and local governments.

Federal Minimum Wage

The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

• $5.15 – Sep 01, 1997
• $5.85 – July 24, 2007
• $6.55 – July 24, 2008
• $7.25 – July 24, 2009

The Federal minimum wage hasn’t gone up in a decade. Some states, cities, and counties are increasing their minimum wage rates based on the cost of living. In those cases, as a business owner or employer, you are required to pay your employees a higher amount.

State Minimum Wage Rates From 2020 to 2026

In 2026, 19 states across the country will increase their minimum wages for workers.

To help you know the minimum wage for your state for 2026, the following table includes upcoming state and federal minimum wage rates, exceptions, and scheduled increases, if any:

*Every year, the minimum wage is adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

Interesting Facts

What states raised the minimum wage in 2026?

According to DOL, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington states increased their minimum wage requirements in 2026.

What states have the lowest minimum wage?

According to the data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Georgia and Wyoming have the lowest state minimum wage requirements, i.e., $5.15 per hour if federal regulations do not apply; otherwise, it is $7.25.

What state has the highest minimum wage?

Washington has the highest state minimum wage at $17.13 per hour for all employees. However, Washington, D.C. has the highest rate across the country: $17.95. Washington, Connecticut, and California will become the top three states with the highest minimum wage for all employees in 2026.

What states have automatic increases (indexing)?

Currently, as of January 2026, the following 17 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington) plus the District of Columbia automatically adjust their minimum wages annually based on an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Around January 1st, most of these increases take place.

What states have no minimum wage?

Five U.S. states—Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee—do not have their own minimum wage laws, so the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies. Federal labor rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) also apply in these states.

Some states, including Georgia, Oklahoma, and Wyoming, have minimum wages set below the federal rate. In these cases, employers must still pay the higher federal minimum wage.

What are the best cities for minimum-wage workers?

In 2026, the best places for minimum-wage workers depend on whether you value higher pay or lower living costs.

Cities in Washington lead the country in hourly wages. Tukwila has the highest local minimum wage at $21.65 per hour, followed closely by Burien, Renton, and Seattle, all paying around $21+ per hour.

For better affordability, cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Cleveland offer lower wages but cheaper housing and daily expenses.

Among broader regions, the District of Columbia has the highest non-city minimum wage at $17.95 per hour, which is still lower than Washington’s top local rates.

What localities have adopted minimum wages above their state minimum wage?

According to EPI, Alameda (CA), Bellingham (WA), Berkeley (CA), Birmingham (AL), Boulder City & County (CO), Burien (WA), Burlingame (CA), Chicago (IL), Cupertino (CA), Denver (CO), Emeryville (CA), Everett (WA), Flagstaff (AZ), Fremont (CA), Howard County (MD), King County (WA), Los Angeles (City & County) (CA), Minneapolis & St. Paul (MN), Montgomery County (MD), New York City & Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties (NY), Oakland (CA), Palo Alto (CA), Pasadena (CA), Portland (OR & ME), Renton (WA), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), San Jose (CA), San Mateo (City & County) (CA), Santa Monica (CA), SeaTac (WA), Seattle (WA), Sunnyvale (CA), Tucson (AZ), Tukwila (WA), and West Hollywood (CA). have adopted minimum wages above their state minimum wage.

What companies have raised their minimum wage to at least $15 an hour?

According to GBR , Aetna, Amazon, Bank of America, Ben & Jerry’s, Best Buy, Charter Communications, Cigna, Costco, Disney World, Facebook, Fifth Third Bank, Google, JPMorgan Chase, Santander Bank, Starbucks, Target, Wayfair, and Wells Fargo, have raised their minimum wage to at least $15 or more per hour.