STATE RATES
Minimum Wage by State (2026): All 50 States + DC
Every state minimum wage as of April 2026. Rates marked "Federal" mean the state has no law above the $7.25 federal floor. Data verified April 2026 -- check your state DOL for the most current information.
Highest (DC)
rises to $18.40 Jul 2026
Lowest (federal floor)
21 states at or below
States above $15
Plus many cities
CPI-indexed states
Auto-adjust each year
States by Rate Tier (2026)
$17+ TIER
DC ($17.95 / $18.40 Jul 2026), WA ($17.13), NY NYC-LI-WC ($17.00)
$16-16.99 TIER
CT ($16.94), CA ($16.90), NY rest of state ($16.50), RI ($16.00)
$15-15.99 TIER
NJ ($15.92), OR ($15.45), CO ($15.16), IL, MA, MD, DE, HI, ME ($14.65)
FEDERAL FLOOR ($7.25)
AL, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MS, NH, NC, ND, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA (some), WI, WY -- plus AL, LA, MS, SC, TN have no state law
Complete State Table (Alphabetical)
| State | 2026 Rate | Tipped Rate | Effective | Indexed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $11.73 | $11.73 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | No tip credit allowed |
| Alabama | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | No state law; federal applies |
| Arizona | $14.70 | $11.70 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed annually |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | $2.63 | 1 Jan 2023 | No | |
| California | $16.90 | $16.90 | 1 Jan 2026 | No | No tip credit; fast food $20 (under AB 1228) |
| Colorado | $15.16 | $12.14 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $6.38 | 1 Jan 2026 | No | Bartenders $8.23 tipped rate |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $2.23 | 1 Jan 2025 | No | |
| DC | $17.95 | $10.00 | 1 Jul 2025 | No | Rises to $18.40 on 1 Jul 2026 |
| Florida | $14.00 | $9.98 | 30 Sep 2025 | No | Phase-in to $15 by Sep 2026 |
| Georgia | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | State law $5.15 but federal $7.25 applies |
| Hawaii | $14.00 | $12.75 | 1 Jan 2024 | No | |
| Idaho | $7.25 | $3.35 | Federal | No | |
| Illinois | $15.00 | $9.00 | 1 Jan 2025 | No | Chicago has higher city rate |
| Indiana | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| Iowa | $7.25 | $4.35 | Federal | No | |
| Kansas | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| Louisiana | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | No state law; federal applies |
| Maine | $14.65 | $7.33 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | Portland has higher city rate |
| Maryland | $15.00 | $3.63 | 1 Jan 2024 | No | |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | $6.75 | 1 Jan 2023 | No | |
| Michigan | $13.73 | $5.22 | 1 Jan 2026 | No | Phase-in continues |
| Minnesota | $11.13 | $11.13 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | No tip credit; large employer rate |
| Mississippi | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | No state law; federal applies |
| Missouri | $13.75 | $6.88 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed |
| Montana | $10.55 | $10.55 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | No tip credit |
| Nebraska | $13.50 | $2.13 | 1 Jan 2026 | No | |
| Nevada | $12.00 | $12.00 | 1 Jul 2024 | No | No tip credit; rises with CPI |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | $3.26 | Federal | No | |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $5.92 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | $3.00 | 1 Jan 2024 | No | |
| New York | $16.50 | $13.35 | 1 Jan 2026 | No | NYC/LI/Westchester $17.00; Rest of state $16.50 |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | $4.86 | Federal | No | |
| Ohio | $10.70 | $5.35 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed; small biz exemption under $394k revenue |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| Oregon | $15.45 | $15.45 | 1 Jul 2025 | Yes | No tip credit; Portland metro $16.45 |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $2.83 | Federal | No | |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $3.89 | 1 Jan 2026 | No | |
| South Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | No state law; federal applies |
| South Dakota | $11.50 | $5.75 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed |
| Tennessee | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | No state law; federal applies |
| Texas | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| Utah | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | |
| Vermont | $14.01 | $7.01 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | CPI-indexed |
| Virginia | $12.41 | $2.13 | 1 Jan 2025 | No | |
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.13 | 1 Jan 2026 | Yes | No tip credit; Tukwila, Burien, Renton, Seattle all higher |
| West Virginia | $10.00 | $7.75 | Federal | No | |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | $2.33 | Federal | No | |
| Wyoming | $7.25 | $2.13 | Federal | No | State law $5.15 but federal $7.25 applies |
INDEXING
What Does "CPI-Indexed" Mean for Your State?
Seventeen states plus DC automatically adjust their minimum wage each year using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The adjustment is calculated each autumn and takes effect 1 January. This means no legislative action is required for the wage to increase -- it rises automatically with inflation.
States without indexing must pass new legislation to raise the minimum wage, which can create multi-year gaps. The 16-year federal freeze is the most extreme example of what happens without indexing. CPI-indexed states avoid this problem but also cannot exceed CPI growth without new legislation.
States Without a State Minimum Wage Law
Five states have no state minimum wage statute: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Two states (Georgia, Wyoming) set state rates below the federal floor at $5.15. In all seven cases, workers covered by the FLSA -- which covers virtually all employers with $500,000+ in annual revenue or engaged in interstate commerce -- receive the federal $7.25.
The practical gap arises for the small minority of workers not covered by the FLSA (some domestic workers, small farm workers, casual babysitters): they may genuinely only be entitled to $5.15 or less in Georgia and Wyoming.