2026 Minimum Wage by State: The Complete List
Every state's 2026 minimum wage, from the $7.25 federal floor up to $17.95 in Washington, D.C., plus which states raised pay in January and which raise it mid-year.
The federal minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, and it hasn't budged since July 2009. That's more than sixteen years without a raise, the longest stretch in the law's history. If the federal floor had kept pace with inflation, it would be well over $10 today.
But the federal number tells you almost nothing about what workers actually earn, because 30 states plus Washington, D.C. set a higher minimum, and many cities go higher still. In 2026, where you live can mean a $10-plus swing in the legal floor for the exact same job. Here's the full picture.
The highest minimum wages in 2026
Washington, D.C. leads the country at $17.95 an hour. Right behind it: Washington State at $17.13, Connecticut at $16.94, California at $16.90 (with many cities far higher), and New York at $17.00 in the NYC, Long Island, and Westchester area and $16.00 upstate.
These aren't outliers anymore. New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, and Maryland all sit comfortably above $15. The $15 minimum, once a rallying cry, is now the baseline across a large chunk of the country.
And remember, these are state floors. Cities like Seattle, Denver, and the California Bay Area set their own higher rates, which we cover in city vs state minimum wage.
States still at the $7.25 federal floor
Twenty states still use the federal $7.25 minimum, including Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin, and most of the South. In these states, a full-time worker earning the minimum makes about $15,080 a year before taxes, which is below the poverty line for a family.
A few states are stranger than that. Georgia and Wyoming have a state minimum of just $5.15 on the books, but because the federal $7.25 applies to most employers, that's the rate workers actually get. Five states, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, have no state minimum wage law at all, so the federal floor governs by default.
States that raised pay on January 1, 2026
Nineteen states raised their minimum wage on January 1, 2026, many through automatic inflation indexing. That includes big economies like California, New York, Colorado, Washington, and Arizona, plus Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, and others.
Indexing matters because it means the raise happens every year without a new law. If your state indexes to inflation, expect another bump every January. We list the standout 2026 increases in January 2026 minimum wage increases.
Mid-year increases to watch in 2026
Not every raise lands on January 1. Several states bump their minimum wage partway through the year, so the rate that applied in February may not be the rate that applies in October.
Alaska reaches $14.00 on July 1. Oregon and Nevada re-index on July 1 as well. And Florida continues its voter-approved climb toward $15, hitting $15.00 on September 30, 2026. If you're checking your pay, make sure you're using the rate that was in effect during the week you're looking at, not last year's number.
Minimum wage and overtime are connected
Your minimum wage doesn't just set your base pay, it sets the floor for your overtime too. Overtime is 1.5x your regular rate, and your regular rate can never be below the applicable minimum. So a higher state minimum means a higher overtime premium.
It also affects exemptions. In California, the salary threshold to be exempt from overtime is tied to the state minimum wage (2x full-time minimum), which is why it rises every year. We cover that link in exempt vs non-exempt employees.
Frequently asked questions
Which minimum wage applies to me, federal, state, or city? Whichever is highest. If your city requires $18, your state requires $16, and the feds require $7.25, you're entitled to $18. The law always favors the worker on this one.
Can my employer pay me less than minimum wage if I get tips? Only in states that allow a "tip credit," and only if your tips plus the lower cash wage add up to at least the full minimum. Seven states ban the tip credit entirely. See tipped minimum wage and tip credit.
What if I'm being paid below my state's minimum? That's a wage violation, and the unpaid difference is recoverable, often with penalties. Start by confirming the correct rate for your state and the weeks in question.
Confirm your rate and check for shortfalls
Use the minimum wage calculator to confirm the exact 2026 rate for your state and city, then compare it against your actual pay stub. If you're tipped, hourly, or salaried, the same floor logic applies.
If you find you've been paid below the legal minimum, the back-pay calculator estimates what you're owed, and you can file a complaint with the DOL Wage and Hour Division. This is general information, not legal advice, but a quick check costs you nothing.