Minimum Wage by State, 2026
Federal floor: $7.25 since July 2009. 32 states + DC are above it, pick your state for the 2026 rate, the gap to federal, and what's scheduled next.
All 51 jurisdictions
| State | 2026 rate | Notes |
|---|
Indexed to inflation: Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota (and Ohio, which resets each Jan 1 by CPI formula). Tipped wage: most above-federal states still take a tip credit below the full rate (e.g. CA tips count fully, no credit; MA tipped minimum $6.75 with $15 full rate).
Rates reviewed Nov 1, 2026 against state labor-department schedules (WA RCW 49.46, NY Lab. Law §652, Cal. Lab. Code §1182.7, DC Code §32-1003…). City floors are higher in parts of AZ, CA, CO, IL, MD, MN, NY, OR, WA (e.g. Seattle, LA, NYC, Denver, Twin Cities), the state rate is the floor there too, the city rate wins for workers in that city.
Frequently asked
Which states have the highest minimum wage in 2026?
DC $18.40 (July 2026), Washington $17.13, New York $17.00, Connecticut $16.94, California $16.90, Oregon $16.80. Five states' minimums rise with inflation automatically.
What if my state has no minimum wage above federal?
Federal $7.25 applies (20 states incl. AL, GA, KY, MS, SC, TN, TX). Indiana's $7.25 mirrors federal; Kansas keeps a $7.25 state rate that exceeds its old $3.35 covered rate.
Is the tipped minimum the same?
No. The federal tipped cash wage is $2.13 (47 states use it); the employer credits tips up to full minimum wage. CA, MA, NV, MT, NE have no tip credit, tipped staff get the full state rate plus tips.