Minimum Wage by State in 2026: Complete List

The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009. But most American workers aren't subject to just the federal floor — their state (and sometimes their city) sets a higher minimum. Here's where every state stands in 2026.

States with $15/Hour or Higher

Several states have crossed or surpassed $15/hour and continue to index their minimums to inflation or scheduled increases:

• California: $17.00/hour statewide ($20/hour for fast food workers under AB 1228). Some cities go higher — San Francisco is $18.67/hour.
• Washington: $16.66/hour, indexed annually to inflation.
• New York: $16.50/hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester; $15.50/hour elsewhere in the state.
• Connecticut: $16.35/hour, with annual inflation adjustments.
• Massachusetts: $15.00/hour.
• New Jersey: $15.49/hour for most employers.
• Illinois: $15.00/hour.
• Minnesota: $10.85/hour for large employers (adjusted annually).
• Colorado: $14.81/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Arizona: $14.70/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Maine: $14.65/hour.
• Maryland: $15.00/hour.
• Oregon: $14.70/hour statewide ($15.45 in the Portland metro area).
• Nevada: $12.00/hour.
• Rhode Island: $15.00/hour.
• Delaware: $15.00/hour.
• Michigan: $10.56/hour (scheduled increases ongoing).

States at or Near Federal Minimum

These states either have no state minimum wage law (defaulting to federal) or set their minimum at the federal rate of $7.25/hour:

• Alabama: No state minimum — federal $7.25 applies.
• Louisiana: No state minimum — federal $7.25 applies.
• Mississippi: No state minimum — federal $7.25 applies.
• South Carolina: No state minimum — federal $7.25 applies.
• Tennessee: No state minimum — federal $7.25 applies.
• Georgia: $5.15 state minimum, but federal $7.25 preempts it for most workers.
• Wyoming: $5.15 state minimum — federal $7.25 applies for covered workers.
• Indiana: $7.25/hour.
• Iowa: $7.25/hour.
• Idaho: $7.25/hour.
• Kansas: $7.25/hour.
• Kentucky: $7.25/hour.
• North Carolina: $7.25/hour.
• Oklahoma: $7.25/hour.
• Texas: $7.25/hour.
• Utah: $7.25/hour.
• Wisconsin: $7.25/hour.

Mid-Range States ($10–$14.99/hour)

• Alaska: $11.73/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Arkansas: $11.00/hour.
• Florida: $13.00/hour, with increases scheduled to reach $15 by 2026.
• Hawaii: $14.00/hour.
• Missouri: $13.75/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Montana: $10.55/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Nebraska: $13.50/hour.
• New Hampshire: $7.25/hour (federal minimum applies).
• New Mexico: $12.00/hour.
• Ohio: $10.70/hour for large employers, $7.25 for small businesses.
• South Dakota: $11.20/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Vermont: $14.01/hour, inflation-indexed.
• Virginia: $12.41/hour.
• West Virginia: $8.75/hour.

What Minimum Wage Looks Like as Annual Salary

Working full-time (40 hours/week, 52 weeks), here's how minimum wages translate annually:

• $7.25/hour (federal): $15,080/year — well below the federal poverty line for a family of four.
• $13.00/hour (Florida): $27,040/year.
• $15.00/hour: $31,200/year.
• $17.00/hour (California): $35,360/year.

Use our hourly to annual salary calculator to see the full breakdown for any rate, including weekly, biweekly, and monthly pay.

Local Minimum Wages Go Even Higher

Many cities and counties set minimum wages above their state's floor. Notable examples include Seattle ($19.97/hour), San Jose ($17.55/hour), and Denver ($18.29/hour). If you work in a large metro area, check your city's ordinances — the local rate may be higher than the state minimum.

The Big Picture

The gap between states has widened significantly over the past decade. A full-time minimum wage worker in California earns more than twice what a full-time minimum wage worker in Alabama earns. That disparity affects everything from poverty rates to cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power across states.

For workers evaluating job offers across state lines, minimum wage is just one factor — take-home pay after taxes varies dramatically by state as well, and a higher minimum wage in a high-tax state like California may not result in meaningfully more take-home pay than a lower wage in a no-income-tax state like Texas or Florida.