As a business owner or perhaps someone looking to start their own business or franchise in the US, it is important to know what the minimum wage is, and equally as important to keep updated on laws and changes that generally occur yearly.
Whatever state you operate a business in, or are planning to start a company in, we have created information and statistics regarding all 50 US states and their minimum wage laws and rates of pay.
If you want to see the states that have increased their minimum wage in 2022, we have created a page that lists all of them. There is also an interactive map that shows you what states increased and those that did not.
The minimum wage in US states varies depending on which state you are located in. Each State’s minimum wage is unique to them, there are several factors that the minimum wage in certain states is measured by, with some being tied to the cost of living.
In addition to the regular minimum wage, each state has its own tipped minimum wage which is usually different and has a lower hourly rate.
The US minimum wage by state map indicates the states that currently set their minimum wage at the federal level and those that hold their unique minimum wage that sits higher than the Federal wage.
US Minimum Wage by State
For several states, the minimum wage rate is higher than the federal minimum wage. The US minimum wage by each state is calculated either through the consumer price index of that specific state, the employment cost index (calculated by the US Dept of Labor), or through economic indicators.
Many states charge income tax on your earnings but some states charge no tax at all. Regardless of whether you are paid the minimum wage, a higher hourly wage, or a salary, you will be liable to pay some form of income tax. To learn what each states income tax rates are, then head over to our page that lists the income tax rate for all 50 states.
The Federal minimum wage is the wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and it is used to guide employers on the minimum hourly wage they must pay their employees. Though states can technically have no minimum wage in place, if a state has no minimum wage law or its minimum wage is lower than the federal law, workers are entitled to the federal minimum wage.
The national wage in 2022 is $7.25 per hour, this is the federal minimum wage and has not changed since 2009. The majority of states do not follow the federal wage since they have a higher minimum wage that is set above the $7.25 hourly rate, in fact, 29 states in the US have a higher minimum wage than the federal wage.
In 2022, California has the highest state minimum wage. If you want to learn the Top 10 Highest Minimum Wage States, check out our page that lists them from 1st through 10th.
| State | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Wage in Alabama | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Alaska | $10.34 | $10.34 | $10.19 | $9.89 | $9.84 | $9.80 |
| Minimum Wage in Arizona | $12.80 | $12.15 | $12.00 | $11.00 | $10.50 | $10.00 |
| Minimum wage in Arkansas | $11.00 | $11.00 | $10.00 | $9.25 | $8.50 | $8.50 |
| Minimum Wage in California | $15.00 | $14.00 | $13.00 | $12.00 | $11.00 | $10.50 |
| Minimum Wage in Colorado | $12.56 | $12.32 | $12.00 | $11.10 | $10.20 | $9.30 |
| Minimum Wage in Connecticut | $14.00 (July 2022) | $13.00 | $12.00 | $11.00 | $10.10 | $10.10 |
| Minimum Wage in Delaware | $10.50 | $9.25 | $9.25 | $8.75 | $8.25 | $8.25 |
| District of Columbia Minimum Wage * | $15.50 | $15.20 | $15.00 | $14.00 | $13.25 | $12.50 |
| Minimum Wage in Florida | $11.00 (Sept 2022) | $10.00 (Sept 2021) | $8.56 | $8.46 | $8.25 | $8.10 |
| Minimum Wage in Georgia | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Hawaii | $10.10 | $10.10 | $10.10 | $10.10 | $10.10 | $9.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Idaho | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Illinois | $12.00 | $11.00 | $9.25 | $8.25 | $8.25 | $8.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Indiana | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Iowa | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Kansas | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Kentucky | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Louisiana | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Maine | $12.75 | $12.15 | $12.00 | $11.00 | $10.00 | $9.00 |
| Minimum Wage in Maryland | $12.50 | $11.75 | $11.00 | $10.10 | $10.10 | $9.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Massachusetts | $14.25 | $13.50 | $12.75 | $12.00 | $11.00 | $11.00 |
| Minimum Wage in Michigan | $9.87 | $9.65 | $9.65 | $9.45 | $9.25 | $8.90 |
| Minimum Wage in Minnesota | $10.33 | $10.08 | $10.00 | $9.86 | $9.65 | $9.50 |
| Minimum Wage in Mississippi | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Missouri | $11.15 | $10.30 | $9.45 | $8.60 | $7.85 | $7.70 |
| Minimum Wage in Montana | $9.20 | $8.75 | $8.65 | $8.50 | $8.30 | $8.15 |
| Minimum Wage in Nebraska | $9.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 |
| Minimum Wage in Nevada | $10.50 (July 2022) | $9.75 | $9.00 | $8.25 | $8.25 | $8.25 |
| Minimum Wage in New Hampshire | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in New Jersey | $13.00 | $12.00 | $11.00 | $10.00 | $8.60 | $8.44 |
| Minimum Wage in New Mexico | $11.50 | $10.50 | $9.00 | $7.50 | $7.50 | $7.50 |
| Minimum Wage in New York | $13.20 | $12.50 | $11.80 | $11.10 | $10.40 | $9.70 |
| Minimum Wage in North Carolina | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in North Dakota | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Ohio | $9.30 | $8.80 | $8.70 | $8.55 | $8.30 | $8.15 |
| Minimum Wage in Oklahoma | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Oregon | $13.50 | $12.00 | $11.25 | $11.25 | $10.75 | $10.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Puerto Rico | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Rhode Island | $12.25 | $11.50 | $11.50 | $10.50 | $10.10 | $9.60 |
| Minimum Wage in South Carolina | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in South Dakota | $9.95 | $9.45 | $9.30 | $9.10 | $8.65 | $8.65 |
| Minimum Wage in Tennessee | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Texas | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Utah | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Vermont | $12.55 | $11.75 | $10.96 | $10.75 | $10.50 | $10.00 |
| Minimum Wage in Virginia | $11.00 | $9.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Washington | $14.49 | $13.69 | $13.50 | $12.00 | $11.50 | $11.00 |
| Minimum Wage in West Virginia | $8.75 | $8.75 | $8.75 | $8.75 | $8.75 | $8.75 |
| Minimum Wage in Wisconsin | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Minimum Wage in Wyoming | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 | $7.25 |
*The District of Columbia is not a state; it is a federal district. When the Constitution of the United States was adopted in 1787, what is now the District of Columbia was a part of the state of Maryland. In 1791, the District was ceded to the federal government for the purpose of becoming the nation’s capital, a district that was to be governed by Congress.
