UPDATE | This listing is an update of our 2017 state minimum wage information.
In the U.S., states set minimum per hour wages an employer must pay its employees. However, the federal government sets a national minimum wage that supercedes the state rate. In other words, if the state has set a $5.25 per hour rate, the employer must still pay at least $7.25 per hour, the current federal minimum wage. (Just to make it even more difficult to follow, there are exceptions to that rule, as well. See the footnotes for such exceptions.)
The following list shows state minimum wages in January 2018. (State minimum wages can change frequently and many states have legislated multi-year increases. So always check with your local jurisdiction for the most up to date information.)
State Minimum Wages | 2018
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Labor, and state websites via National Conference of State Legislatures.
1 American Samoa: The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-28) sets minimum wage rates within American Samoa and provides for additional increases in the minimum wage of $0.50 per hour each year on May 25, until reaching the minimum wage generally applicable in the United States. The wage rates are set for particular industries, not for an employee’s particular occupation. The rates are minimum rates; an employer may choose to pay an employee at a rate higher than the rate(s) for its industry.
2 California: The minimum wage scheduled increases are delayed by one year for employers with 25 or fewer employees. The rate increases to $10.50 per hour effective 1/1/2018 and is increased by $1.00 increments annually until it reaches $15.00 effective 1/1/2023
3 Connecticut: 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.
4 The Maine minimum wage is automatically replaced with the Federal minimum wage rate if it is higher than the State minimum.
5 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.
6 Minnesota: With the passage of H.B. 2091 (2014), the annual sales volume threshold was reduced to $500,000. For large employers, with an annual sales volume of $500,000 or more, the minimum wage is currently $9.50; for small employers, those with an annual sales volume of less than $500,000, the minimum wage is $7.75.
7 Missouri – 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.
8 Montana: The $4.00 rate applies to businesses with gross annual sales of $110,000 or less; $8.15 applies to all others.
9 Nevada: $8.25 without health benefits; $7.25 with health benefits.
10 New York: The new minimum wage varies across the state based on geographical location and, in New York City, employer size.
11Ohio: $7:25 for employers grossing $299,000 or less
12 Oklahoma: Employers of ten or more full-time employees at any one location and employers with annual gross sales over $100,000 (no matter the number of full-time employees) are subject to federal minimum wage; all others are subject to state minimum wage of $2.00 (OK ST T. 40 § 197.5).
13 Oregon: In addition to the new standard minimum wage rate, SB 1532 sets out a higher rate for employers located in the urban growth boundary, and a lower rate for employers located in nonurban counties. Their respective planned increases are below.
Other Exceptions14
- Puerto Rico: Employers covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are subject to the Federal minimum wage of $7.25. Employers not covered by the FLSA will be subject to a minimum wage that is at least 70 percent of the Federal minimum wage or the applicable mandatory decree rate of $5.08, whichever is higher. The Secretary of Labor and Human Resources may authorize a rate based on a lower percentage for any employer who can show that implementation of the 70 percent rate would substantially curtail employment in that business.
- Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Puerto Rico, Utah, and Virginia exclude from coverage any employment that is subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Hawaii, Kansas, and Michigan exclude from coverage any employment that is subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, if the State wage is higher than the Federal wage.
- The Georgia state minimum wage is $5.15. Employees covered under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act are subject to the federal minimum wage of $7.25, but those not covered under the FLSA may be paid the state minimum wage of $5.15.
Cities and counties with minimum wage requirements
In some states, a city or county can enact a minimum wage higher than the states’. The cities and jurisdictions in the list below have different minimum wages than the states in which they are located. As these can change often, check with local tax departments for information on these locales.
Alabama
- Birmingham
Arizona
- Flagstaff
California
- Berkeley
- Cupertino
- El Cerrito
- Emeryville
- California
- Los Angeles County
- Los Angeles
- Malibu
- Milpitas
- Mountain View
- Oakland
- Palo Alto
- Pasadena
- Richmond
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- San Leandro
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
- Santa Monica
- Sunnyvale
New Mexico
- Albuquerque
- Bernalillo County
- Las Cruces
- Santa Fe City
- Santa Fe County
Illinois
- Chicago
- Cook County
Maine
- Portland
Maryland
- Montgomery County
- Prince George’s County
New York
- Nassau County
- New York City
- Suffolk County
- Westchester County
Oregon
- Portland Urban Growth Boundary
Washington
- SeaTac
- Seattle
- Tacoma
Sources
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