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All states with a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage

Although the federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25, unchanged in 14 years, 30 states have a higher wage. Find out which ones they are.

Currently, the federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour. It was last raised 14 years ago, marking the longest period without a raise since the base wage was created in 1938. However, without the federal government acting to improve the earnings floor, which if a worker were to work full-time during the entire year they would bring home $15,080, the 2023 threshold set by the government for federal poverty level is $14,580, states and localities across the nation have take the initiative to secure better pay for their residents.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 30 states, plus the District of Columbia, have adopted wages above the federal minimum. Some of these states have linked their increases to the cost of living to keep up with inflation, while others have legislation that establishes automatic increases at the beginning of each year.

All states with a minimum wage above the federal minimum

On January 1 of this year, 23 states raised their minimum wages based on increases adjusted for cost of living or as part of scheduled increases that, under their laws, take effect at the beginning of each calendar year.

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Several of the other states that have a higher minimum wage increased theirs during this month, while others will have scheduled increases for later in the year. We share with you all the states, in addition to the District of Columbia, where the base salary is higher than the federal minimum:

  • Alaska: $10.85
  • Arizona: $13.85
  • Arkansas: $11.00
  • California: $15.50
  • Colorado: $13.65
  • Connecticut: $15.00
  • South Dakota: $10.80
  • District of Columbia: $17.00
  • Delaware: $11.75
  • Florida: $11.00 / $12.00 starting September 30
  • Hawaii: $10.10
  • Illinois: $13.00
  • Maine: $13.80
  • Maryland: $13.25
  • Massachusetts: $15.00
  • Michigan: $10.10
  • Minnesota: $10.59
  • Missouri: $12.00
  • Montana: $9.95
  • Nebraska: $10.50
  • Nevada: $10.25 if employee is offered qualified health benefits and $11.25 if not offered
  • New Jersey: $14.13
  • New York: $14.20
  • New Mexico: $12.00
  • Ohio: $10.10
  • Oregon: $14.20
  • Rhode Island: $13.00
  • Vermont: $13.18
  • West Virginia: $8.75
  • Virginia: $12.00
  • Washington: $15.74

On the other hand, five states have not legislatively adopted a state minimum wage. These states are: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, in which the federal minimum applies. The rest of the states continue to implement the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour as the state minimum:

  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • New Hampshire
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

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