2026 minimum wage by state
State minimum wages in 2026 run from the federal $7.25, which still applies in 20 states, to $17.13 in Washington, the highest state rate, according to state labor departments and the US Department of Labor (checked October 16, 2026). DC is higher still at $18.40, and Denver's city rate is $19.29.
Thirteen states have already announced 2027 increases, led by Washington ($17.73), Connecticut ($17.48) and California ($17.40).
Minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate an employer may legally pay a non-exempt employee; when federal, state and local rates differ, the employer pays the highest one that applies where the work is done.
On this page
- 2026 minimum wage: the highest, the lowest and the federal floor
- Minimum wage by state, 2026
- States with 2027 minimum wage increases announced
- Tipped minimum wage by state
- City and county minimum wages
- What a minimum wage hire costs the employer
- Exempt employees and the salary floor
- Common minimum wage mistakes
2026 minimum wage: the highest, the lowest and the federal floor
- Federal minimum
- $7.25since July 24, 2009
- Federal tipped cash wage
- $2.13tip credit up to $5.12
- Highest state rate
- $17.13Washington (DC is $18.40)
- States at $7.25
- 20including GA and WY, where federal law applies
| Jurisdiction | 2026 minimum wage | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $18.40 (from July 1, 2026) | Set each July 1 by CPI; not yet announced |
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.73 from Jan 1, 2027 |
| New York | $17.00 NYC, Long Island, Westchester; $16.00 rest of state | No change (inflation off-ramp triggered) |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 from Jan 1, 2027 |
| California | $16.90 | $17.40 from Jan 1, 2027 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 from Jan 1, 2027 |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | None announced |
| New Jersey | $15.92 most employers; $15.23 small and seasonal | $16.48 from Jan 1, 2027 |
| Oregon | $15.55 standard; $16.80 Portland metro; $14.55 nonurban | Next change July 1, 2027 (CPI) |
Source: state labor departments and the DOL Wage and Hour Division state minimum wage pages (updated July 1, 2026). Checked October 16, 2026.
At the other end, 20 states effectively use the federal $7.25: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee have no state minimum wage law at all. Georgia and Wyoming have a $5.15 state rate, but any employer covered by the FLSA pays $7.25.
Minimum wage by state, 2026
Every state and DC, with the 2026 rate, the tipped cash wage and any 2027 rate already announced. State names link to the state page with SUTA, new hire, final pay and paid leave rules.
| State | 2026 minimum wage | Tipped cash wage | 2027 (if announced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $7.25 (no state minimum wage law; federal applies) | $2.13 (federal) | none announced |
| Alaska | $14.00 (effective July 1, 2026; $13.00 Jan 1 to June 30, 2026) | $14.00 (no tip credit) | $15.00 effective July 1, 2027 (AS 23.10.065); CPI indexing from Jan 1, 2028 |
| Arizona | $15.15 | $12.15 (max tip credit $3.00) | $15.65 effective Jan 1 2027 (source_type=secondary: FreshPlaza, Sept 17 2026, citing CPI; azica.gov page did not show it) |
| Arkansas | $11.00 (employers with 4 or more employees) | $2.63 | none announced |
| California | $16.90 | $16.90 (no tip credit) | $17.40 effective Jan 1 2027 (DIR release Aug 13 2026; exempt salary floor $72,384) |
| Colorado | $15.16 state; local: Denver $19.29, Edgewater $18.17, City of Boulder $16.82, unincorporated Boulder County $16.82 | $12.14 state; Denver $16.27, Edgewater $13.50, Boulder city and county $13.80 | not yet announced |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $6.38 hotel and restaurant; $8.23 bartenders | $17.48 effective January 1, 2027 (announced August 5, 2026) |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $2.23 | none announced |
| District of Columbia | $18.40 (effective July 1, 2026; $17.95 before) | $10.30 (effective July 1, 2026) | not yet announced (adjusted each July 1 by CPI) |
| Florida | $14.00 through Sept 29 2026; $15.00 from Sept 30 2026 | $10.98 through Sept 29 2026; $11.98 from Sept 30 2026 ($15.00 minus fixed $3.02 tip credit) | $15.00 continues; next inflation adjustment calculated Sept 30 2027 (source_type=secondary on timing: Lowndes law firm article says new rate takes effect Jan 1 2028; confirm against Fla. Const. Art. X s. 24) |
| Georgia | $5.15 state (6+ employees); FLSA-covered employers pay $7.25 | $2.13 (federal; state law does not cover tipped employees) | none announced |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | $14.75 ($1.25 tip credit, only if wages plus tips are at least $7.00 above minimum wage) | none announced |
| Idaho | $7.25 | $3.35 | none announced |
| Illinois | $15.00 (employers with 4+ employees) | $9.00 (tip credit 40%) | none announced |
| Indiana | $7.25 (employers of 2 or more employees) | $2.13 | none announced |
| Iowa | $7.25 | $4.35 | none announced |
| Kansas | $7.25 | $2.13 | none announced |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $2.13 | none announced |
| Louisiana | $7.25 (no state minimum wage law; federal applies) | $2.13 | none announced |
| Maine | $15.10 | $7.55 (50% of minimum; tipped = more than $191/month in tips) | Not announced |
| Maryland | $15.00 | $3.63 | none announced |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | $6.75 | none announced |
| Michigan | $13.73 (employers with 2+ employees) | $5.49 (rises yearly until 50% of minimum wage in 2031) | $15.00 effective Jan 1 2027, then annual formula adjustment |
| Minnesota | $11.41 (all employers) | $11.41 (no tip credit) | $11.87 effective Jan 1 2027 |
| Mississippi | $7.25 (no state minimum wage law; federal applies) | $2.13 | none announced |
| Missouri | $15.00 (excludes retail or service businesses under $500,000 gross sales) | $7.50 (50% of minimum) | none listed on state page |
| Montana | $10.85 (businesses over $110,000 gross sales; $4.00 for non-FLSA businesses at or under $110,000) | $10.85 (no tip credit) | $11.20 effective Jan 1 2027 |
| Nebraska | $15.00 (employers of 4+ employees); $13.50 for ages 14 and 15 from Jul 18 2026 | $2.13 | Not announced |
| Nevada | $12.00 | $12.00 (no tip credit) | none announced |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 (federal rate) | $3.27 | none announced |
| New Jersey | $15.92 most employers; $15.23 small (under 6) and seasonal | $6.05 (max tip credit $9.87) | $16.48 most employers; $16.25 small and seasonal; $15.00 agricultural; tipped cash $6.61 (effective Jan 1 2027, release Sept 29 2026) |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | $3.00 | none announced |
| New York | $17.00 NYC, Long Island, Westchester; $16.00 rest of state | Food service: $11.35 NYC, LI, Westchester; $10.70 rest of state (NYS DOL page lists these for 2027 with no increase; treat 2026 as the same, confirm). Other tipped categories differ | No change for Jan 1 2027 ($17.00 / $16.00): inflation off-ramp triggered. Home care aides rise to $20.00 / $19.00. Governor has proposed changing the off-ramp (not law) |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | none announced |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | $4.86 (tip credit 33%, $2.39) | none announced (not indexed) |
| Ohio | $11.00 (employers with gross receipts of $405,000+); $7.25 below that | $5.50 | $11.40; tipped $5.70; small-employer threshold $419,000 (2027 poster rev. 9/30/26; poster does not print the effective date, Ohio adjusts each Jan 1) |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 (employers with 10+ full-time employees at one location or gross sales over $100,000); $2.00 for other employers not covered by FLSA | $2.13 (tip credit $5.12) | none announced |
| Oregon | $15.55 standard; $16.80 Portland metro; $14.55 nonurban counties (July 1 2026 to June 30 2027) | Same as minimum wage (no tip credit) | none yet (next change July 1 2027, set by CPI formula) |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $2.83 (tipped threshold $135 per month) | none announced |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $3.89 (max tip credit $12.11) | $17.00 effective Jan 1 2027 |
| South Carolina | $7.25 (no state minimum wage law; federal applies) | $2.13 (federal) | none (no state law) |
| South Dakota | $11.85 (effective Jan 1 2026) | $5.925 (state page); DOL table rounds to $5.93 | $12.30 effective Jan 1 2027 (tipped $6.15) |
| Tennessee | $7.25 (no state minimum wage law; federal applies) | $2.13 (federal) | none (no state law) |
| Texas | $7.25 (state law adopts federal rate) | $2.13 | none announced |
| Utah | $7.25 | $2.13 (tip credit $5.12) | none announced |
| Vermont | $14.42 (employers of 2+ employees) | $7.21 (50% of minimum; tipped employee means more than $120 a month in tips) | Not announced |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $2.13 | $13.75 effective Jan 1 2027; $15.00 Jan 1 2028; CPI indexing from 2029 (Va. Code 40.1-28.10) |
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.13 (no tip credit) | $17.73 effective Jan 1 2027 ($15.07 for ages 14-15) |
| West Virginia | $8.75 (employers with 6+ employees at one location) | $2.62 (tip credit 70%, $6.13) | none announced |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | $2.33 (tip credit $4.92); $2.13 for tipped opportunity employees under 20 in first 90 days | none announced |
| Wyoming | $5.15 state; $7.25 federal applies to FLSA-covered employers | $2.13 (tip credit $5.12) | none announced |
Source: each state labor department, linked on the state page. Checked October 2026. Some cities and counties set higher rates.
Many rates have conditions. Ohio's $11.00 applies to employers with gross receipts of $405,000 or more. Illinois, Arkansas and Nebraska rates apply at 4 or more employees. Missouri's $15.00 excludes retail and service businesses under $500,000 in gross sales, and Montana's $10.85 applies to businesses over $110,000 in gross sales. Check the state page before you set pay.
States with 2027 minimum wage increases announced
Thirteen states have announced a 2027 increase as of October 16, 2026. Most take effect January 1, 2027, so the new rate applies to the first payroll period that includes that date.
| State | 2026 | 2027 | Effective | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.73 | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.60 |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.54 |
| California | $16.90 | $17.40 | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.50 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 | Jan 1, 2027 | $1.00 |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $16.48 ($16.25 small and seasonal) | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.56 |
| Arizona | $15.15 | $15.65 (secondary source) | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.50 |
| Michigan | $13.73 | $15.00 | Jan 1, 2027 | $1.27 |
| Alaska | $14.00 | $15.00 | July 1, 2027 | $1.00 |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $13.75 ($15.00 on Jan 1, 2028) | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.98 |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $12.30 (tipped $6.15) | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.45 |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | $11.87 | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.46 |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $11.40 (tipped $5.70; small-employer threshold $419,000) | Jan 1 adjustment (poster does not print the date) | $0.40 |
| Montana | $10.85 | $11.20 | Jan 1, 2027 | $0.35 |
Sources: California DIR release (Aug 13, 2026), Connecticut governor release (Aug 5, 2026), New Jersey release (Sept 29, 2026), Ohio 2027 poster (rev. 9/30/26), Virginia Code 40.1-28.10, Alaska AS 23.10.065, state labor department pages for the rest. Arizona figure from FreshPlaza (Sept 17, 2026), a secondary source; the Arizona agency page did not show it. Checked October 16, 2026.
No increase: New York stays at $17.00 and $16.00 on January 1, 2027 because its inflation off-ramp was triggered, though home care aides rise to $20.00 and $19.00. Florida stays at $15.00 after its September 30, 2026 step. Not yet set: Oregon (July 1, 2027, by CPI) and DC (July 1, 2027). We could not confirm 2027 rates for Maine, Nebraska or Vermont.
California also raises its exempt salary floor to $72,384 in 2027, because the exempt floor is tied to the state minimum wage. An exempt employee paid less than that must be reclassified or get a raise.
Tipped minimum wage by state
Federal law lets employers pay tipped employees a $2.13 cash wage and count up to $5.12 of tips toward the $7.25 minimum, as long as the employee regularly gets more than $30 a month in tips and the total reaches $7.25 (DOL tipped table, July 1, 2026).
- No tip credit: California ($16.90), Washington ($17.13), Oregon (same as the minimum), Alaska ($14.00), Minnesota ($11.41), Montana ($10.85) and Nevada ($12.00) require the full minimum wage before tips.
- Small tip credit: Hawaii allows only $1.25 ($14.75 cash), and only if wages plus tips are at least $7.00 above the minimum.
- Highest cash wages with a credit: Arizona $12.15, Colorado $12.14 (Denver $16.27), Florida $11.98 from September 30, 2026, and New York food service $11.35 downstate.
- Federal $2.13: Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.
Restaurant owners can see how payroll tools handle tip credits and tip pooling in our restaurant payroll software comparison.
City and county minimum wages
Many cities and counties set rates above their state. Pay the highest rate that applies where the work is done. The local rates we have verified:
| Location | 2026 minimum wage | Tipped cash wage |
|---|---|---|
| Denver, Colorado | $19.29 | $16.27 |
| Edgewater, Colorado | $18.17 | $13.50 |
| City of Boulder and unincorporated Boulder County, Colorado | $16.82 | $13.80 |
| New York City, Long Island and Westchester, New York | $17.00 | $11.35 (food service) |
| Portland metro, Oregon | $16.80 | Same as minimum (no tip credit) |
Sources: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment local minimum wage notice (Dec 18, 2025), New York State DOL, DOL WHD state table for Oregon. Checked October 16, 2026.
We have not verified city rates in California (where many cities are above $16.90), Washington (Seattle and others), Minnesota (Minneapolis and St. Paul), New Mexico or other states. Check the city labor office before you set pay. Local payroll taxes are a separate issue, covered on pages such as Denver payroll taxes and San Francisco payroll taxes.
What a minimum wage hire costs the employer
A full-time employee works about 2,080 hours a year. At the federal $7.25 that is $15,080 in wages; at California's $16.90 it is $35,152; at Washington's $17.13 it is $35,630.40. Employer payroll taxes come on top.
| Texas ($7.25) | California ($16.90) | Washington ($17.13) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wages (2,080 hours) | $15,080.00 | $35,152.00 | $35,630.40 |
| Social Security 6.2% | $934.96 | $2,179.42 | $2,209.08 |
| Medicare 1.45% | $218.66 | $509.70 | $516.64 |
| FUTA | $42.00 (0.6%) | $147.00 (2.1% if the credit reduction is confirmed) | $42.00 (0.6%) |
| SUTA at the new employer rate | $243.00 ($9,000 x 2.70%) | $238.00 ($7,000 x 3.4%) plus ETT $7.00 | Industry rate on up to $78,200; not included |
| Employer taxes before workers comp and benefits | $1,438.62 | $3,081.12 | $2,767.72 plus SUTA and PFML |
Math uses 2026 IRS rates (Topics 751 and 759), state agency SUTA rates and the 2026 state minimum wages. Washington employers with 50 or more employees also pay 28.57% of the 1.13% Paid Family and Medical Leave premium. Checked October 16, 2026.
Run your own numbers, with benefits and workers comp, in the employee cost calculator. For the federal tax rates themselves, see 2026 payroll tax rates.
Exempt employees and the salary floor
Minimum wage and overtime rules apply to non-exempt employees. To treat someone as exempt under federal law, you must pay at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) on a salary basis and the job must meet a duties test. The highly compensated employee test is $107,432. DOL restored these 2019 levels on May 15, 2026 after courts vacated the 2024 rule (29 CFR 541.600; 91 FR 27833).
States can set a higher floor. California's rises to $72,384 in 2027. Our exempt vs non-exempt guide covers the duties tests.
Common minimum wage mistakes
- Missing the January 1 change. Thirteen states raise rates for 2027, and payroll software does not change an employee's hourly rate for you.
- Using the state rate in a city with its own rate. A Denver employee costs at least $19.29 an hour, not Colorado's $15.16.
- Taking a tip credit where none is allowed. California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Minnesota, Montana and Nevada require the full minimum before tips.
- Forgetting mid-year changes. Florida moved on September 30, 2026, Oregon and DC move on July 1, and Alaska moves on July 1, 2027.
- Leaving exempt salaries below a new state floor. California's exempt floor follows its minimum wage up each year.
A good payroll provider flags rate changes by work location. Our best payroll software ranking and payroll compliance guide cover what to check.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage by state in 2026?
What is the federal minimum wage in 2026?
Which states raise the minimum wage in 2027?
Which states have no tip credit?
Do I pay the state or city minimum wage?
What is California's minimum wage for 2027?
Sources (13)
- US Department of Labor, WHD: Federal minimum wage (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- US Department of Labor, WHD: State minimum wage laws (updated Jul 1, 2026; checked Oct 16, 2026)
- US Department of Labor, WHD: Minimum wages for tipped employees (table dated Jul 1, 2026; checked Oct 16, 2026)
- California DIR: News release 2026-66: 2027 minimum wage (Aug 13, 2026; checked Oct 16, 2026)
- New York State DOL: Minimum wage (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Washington L&I: Minimum wage (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Colorado CDLE: Local minimum wages (INFO #19) (Dec 18, 2025; checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Minnesota DLI: Minimum wage in Minnesota (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Missouri Department of Labor: Minimum wage (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Arizona Industrial Commission: Minimum wage (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- eCFR: 29 CFR 541.600, salary level (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Federal Register: 91 FR 27833, restoring the 2019 salary levels (May 15, 2026; checked Oct 16, 2026)
- IRS: Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates (updated Sep 24, 2026; checked Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.