Minimum wage by state and scheduled 2027 changes

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour for covered workers, while state and local rules can require more.

By Stan SedberryLast updated October 23, 20262 min read

At a glance

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour for covered workers, while state and local rules can require more. This table shows state rates as of October 22, 2026, with announced January 2027 changes. California's standard state rate is $16.90; its salaried overtime-exemption threshold is a separate rule, not a minimum salary for every job.

Use the higher applicable federal, state or local rate.
An empty scheduled-rate cell does not necessarily mean the current rate will stay unchanged.
A salary above an overtime-exemption threshold does not by itself establish exempt status.

What is the minimum wage in each state?

State minimum wages vary; a blank state cell does not remove federal wage protections.[1]

Minimum wage now ($ per hour)

$5.15
$7.25 to $10.85
$11.00 to $14.42
$15.00 to $15.15
$15.16 to $18.40
No estimate

State standard hourly rates, announced January changes and selected annual exemption thresholds.
State	Minimum wage now ($ per hour)	From January 1, 2027 ($ per hour)	Tipped cash wage ($ per hour)	Salaried exempt minimum ($ per year)	Note
Alabama	—	—	$2.13	—	No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.
Alaska	$14.00	—	$14.00	$58,240	No tip credit. The exempt salary is twice the state minimum wage for a 40-hour week ($1,120 a week from July 1, 2026).
Arizona	$15.15	—	$12.15	—	Adjusted for inflation each January 1 (A.R.S. 23-363). The 2027 rate could not be read on the Industrial Commission's site, which refused access, so it is left blank.
Arkansas	$11.00	—	$2.63	—	Applies to employers with 4 or more employees.
California	$16.90	$17.40	$16.90	$70,304	No tip credit. Some cities and industries have higher minimums. The exempt salary is twice the state minimum wage for full-time work; $72,384 from January 1, 2027.
Colorado	$15.16	$15.71	$12.14	—	Tipped cash wage $12.69 from January 1, 2027. Denver's local minimum is $19.84 in 2027. Colorado sets its own exempt salary (COMPS Order), but the 2026 figure could not be read on the state's site, so it is left blank.
Connecticut	$16.94	$17.48	$10.56	—	Tipped cash wage is $10.56 for hotel and restaurant workers and $8.71 for bartenders.
Delaware	$15.00	—	$2.23	—	$15.00 since January 1, 2025; no further change scheduled.
District of Columbia	$18.40	—	$10.30	—	The rate changes each July 1. The District's own pages refused access, so the figures are from the DOL table of July 1, 2026.
Florida	$15.00	—	$11.98	—	$15.00 from September 30, 2026 to December 31, 2027. The tipped cash wage is the minimum wage less the $3.02 tip credit the state constitution allows.
Georgia	$5.15	—	$2.13	—	The state rate of $5.15 covers employers of 6 or more who are outside federal law; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.
Hawaii	$16.00	—	$14.75	—	The $1.25 tip credit applies only when wages and tips together are at least $7.00 above the minimum wage.
Idaho	$7.25	—	$3.35	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Illinois	$15.00	—	$9.00	—	Applies to employers with 4 or more employees; no further change scheduled.
Indiana	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25; applies to employers with 2 or more employees.
Iowa	$7.25	—	$4.35	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Kansas	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Kentucky	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Louisiana	—	—	$2.13	—	No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.
Maine	$15.10	$15.70	$7.55	$45,300	The exempt salary must exceed 3,000 times the state minimum wage; $47,101.08 from January 1, 2027.
Maryland	$15.00	—	$3.63	—	Some counties set higher minimums.
Massachusetts	$15.00	—	$6.75	—	Set by statute at $15.00; no further change scheduled.
Michigan	$13.73	$15.00	$5.49	—	Applies to employers with 2 or more employees.
Minnesota	$11.41	$11.87	$11.41	—	No tip credit.
Mississippi	—	—	$2.13	—	No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.
Missouri	$15.00	—	$7.50	—	The statute sets $15.00 from 2026 with no inflation adjustment after it. Retail and service businesses with gross income under $500,000 are exempt.
Montana	$10.85	$11.20	$10.85	—	No tip credit. $4.00 for businesses outside federal law with sales of $110,000 or less.
Nebraska	$15.00	$15.26	$2.13	—	Applies to employers with 4 or more employees. Rises a fixed 1.75% a year under LB 258; a $13.50 youth minimum applies at 14 and 15.
Nevada	$12.00	—	$12.00	—	$12.00 since July 1, 2024; no tip credit.
New Hampshire	$7.25	—	$3.27	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
New Jersey	$15.92	$16.48	$6.05	—	Seasonal employers and those with fewer than 6 employees pay $15.23 ($16.25 from January 1, 2027). Tipped cash wage $6.61 from January 1, 2027.
New Mexico	$12.00	—	$3.00	—	$12.00 since January 1, 2023. Some cities and counties set higher minimums.
New York	$16.00	—	—	$62,353	Rest of the state; $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. No increase on January 1, 2027: one of the law's off-ramps was met. The exempt salary shown is the rest of the state ($1,199.10 a week); downstate it is $1,275 a week ($66,300 a year). Tipped cash wages vary by region and job.
North Carolina	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
North Dakota	$7.25	—	$4.86	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Ohio	$11.00	$11.40	$5.50	—	Applies to employers with gross receipts of $405,000 or more ($419,000 from 2027); smaller employers pay $7.25. Tipped cash wage $5.70 from January 1, 2027.
Oklahoma	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25 for employers with 10 or more full-time employees at one location or sales over $100,000; $2.00 for other employers.
Oregon	$15.55	—	$15.55	—	Standard rate through June 30, 2027; $16.80 in the Portland metro area and $14.55 in nonurban counties. No tip credit.
Pennsylvania	$7.25	—	$2.83	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Rhode Island	$16.00	$17.00	$3.89	—	Both rates are set in statute (R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3).
South Carolina	—	—	$2.13	—	No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.
South Dakota	$11.85	$12.30	$5.93	—	Tipped cash wage $6.15 from January 1, 2027.
Tennessee	—	—	$2.13	—	No state minimum wage law; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.
Texas	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Utah	$7.25	—	$2.13	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Vermont	$14.42	—	$7.21	—	Applies to employers with 2 or more employees. Adjusted each January 1 for inflation (at most 5%), but the Department of Labor had not posted the 2027 rate, so it is left blank.
Virginia	$12.77	$13.75	$2.13	—	—
Washington	$17.13	$17.73	$17.13	$80,168	No tip credit. The exempt salary is 2.25 times the state minimum wage; from January 1, 2027 it is $92,196 for employers with 51 or more employees and $82,976.40 for smaller ones.
West Virginia	$8.75	—	$2.62	—	Applies to employers with 6 or more employees at one location.
Wisconsin	$7.25	—	$2.33	—	Same as the federal $7.25.
Wyoming	$5.15	—	$2.13	—	The state rate is $5.15; the federal $7.25 applies to most workers.

[1]

The map displays the standard state rate. A lower state figure does not displace the federal rate for workers covered by federal law. Read the notes for industry, employer-size and other exceptions.[1]

What is the minimum salary in California?

California's standard salary threshold for the executive, administrative and professional overtime exemptions is $70,304 a year in 2026. This is not a rule that every salaried job must pay that amount.[1][2][4]

The calculation uses twice the $16.90 hourly state minimum, multiplied by 40 hours and 52 weeks. That gives $70,304 annually.[1][2][4]

The employee must also meet the relevant duties test. Local minimum wages and special industry rules can require a different hourly rate.[2][4]

What changes in January 2027?

California has announced a $17.40 standard hourly rate from January 1, 2027. Other scheduled changes and unconfirmed cells appear separately in the table.[3]

Do not treat every empty future cell as no change. The note distinguishes missing announcements from changes scheduled for a different date.[1]

Method and limits

This snapshot reflects rules checked in October 2026. Local rates, industry rules and special categories are not fully represented. The linked agency or statute is the authority for coverage.[1]

What this means for checking your pay

Identify where the work is performed, the employer and industry, and whether tips affect the calculation. Check the relevant agency guidance before treating the state standard as the whole rule.

The independent contractor comparison explains why classification matters. Use the salary negotiation guide for an offer discussion.

Data and method

Minimum wage by state, now and from January 1, 2027

One row for each state and the District of Columbia: the state minimum wage in force on October 22, 2026, the rate from January 1, 2027, other scheduled changes, the tipped cash wage and, where a state sets one, the salary required for an overtime exemption.

Source: State minimum wage laws, and state labor departments, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Release: State table updated July 1, 2026; state announcements for 2027
Period: October 2026, with changes scheduled for 2027
Method: Each row starts from the DOL state minimum wage and tipped-employee tables (updated July 1, 2026) and is checked against the state's own labor department page, announcement, poster or statute, which is the row's source. Rates that changed after July 1 (Florida, September 30, 2026) and every 2027 rate come from the state. A rate is entered only if an official page states it; where the state had not published a figure or its page refused access, the cell is left blank and the note says so. Exempt salaries are the state's published figure or its published rule applied to the current minimum wage (California, Washington, Alaska, Maine).
License: Public domain
Retrieved: October 23, 2026

Limits

Many cities and counties set higher minimum wages; this table shows only state rates.
Rates can depend on employer size, sales, industry, age or benefits offered; the table shows the standard rate, with the main exceptions in the note.
Scheduled rates can change before they take effect, and states that adjust for inflation publish the next rate only weeks before it starts.
Earning more than the exempt salary does not by itself make a job exempt from overtime; the duties of the job must also meet the test.
Where the federal minimum wage is higher than the state rate, or the state has none, employers covered by federal law pay the federal $7.25.

Download the data (CSV)

Sources & approach

Scope: US federal and state wage rules checked in October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Local, industry and worker-category exceptions apply. Consult the relevant labor agency or qualified counsel for a specific job.

Based on the public sources linked below. Job.com selected and organized the data; no internal company data is used.

State minimum wage laws, and state labor departmentsU.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · Accessed October 23, 2026
California minimum wage frequently asked questionsCalifornia Department of Industrial Relations · Accessed October 23, 2026
California statewide minimum wage increase for 2027Governor of California · Accessed October 23, 2026
Executive exemption: salary and duties testsCalifornia Department of Industrial Relations · Accessed October 23, 2026

See an error? Email support@job.com. Corrections are listed on the corrections page.

Read our editorial standards