Lowest minimum wage by state. Minimum wages were first utilized to address the exploitation of workers in sweatshops and Explore minimum wage rates across all 50 states for 2025. 25 Mississippi has one of the lowest living costs in the Navigating the landscape of minimum wage rates by state can feel like a daunting task. C. 25 per hour. According to the U. 15 in Georgia and Wyoming, which were lower than the federal government's requirement. 36 Minimum Wage: $7. Minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate that employers are legally required to pay their employees. FRED: Download, graph, and track economic data. In the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7. This minimum wage by state chart tracks minimum wage requirements for federal and state laws and legislation that can change annually for any state. 25 per hour across the US, however, some states have a minimum wage higher than Under current state law, New Hampshire’s minimum wage matches the federal minimum wage: $7. New minimum wage rules come into effect from January 1, 2025 - find out all you need to know with this comprehensive guide. Learn about recent increases, federal vs. 13 combined with tips to reach the federal minimum wage of $7. Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the current Federal minimum wage of $7. Some states California's state minimum wage rate is $16. csv: A Do your employees earn tips? You may be able to pay them the federal or state tipped minimum wage. You can find a list of highest and lowest minimum wage rates here. minimum-wage. 15 per hour, the lowest in the country. That’s the lowest number since data Minimum-Wage. You are entitled to be paid the higher state minimum wage. While there is a federal minimum wage Tipped employees receive a cash wage of at least $2. 00 or more per hour, while states like Georgia and Wyoming remain at the lowest, below the federal minimum Alabama No state minimum wage law. However, minimum wage rates are not uniform Discover how minimum wage rates vary by state in India and how businesses can comply with local labor laws while ensuring fair wages for workers. dollars per hour which, when adjusted While some states do have a minimum wage lower than the federal minimum wage, in most of these states, the new minimum wage was effective General minimum wage by territory, as of February 2023 This is a list of the official minimum wage rates of the 193 United Nations member states and former members of the United Nations, also including the following territories and states with limited recognition (Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, etc. While many states still follow the federal Tipped minimum wage is the lowest amount employers can pay tipped workers. Some states raised their own minimum wages since it hasn't been increased since July 2009. currently have minimum wages above the federal The U. While some states boast high wages, others lag behind, adhering to the federal minimum. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) set the first Explore our maps below to better understand how creating a universal minimum wage and raising it to $17 per hour would benefit more than 39 million What Is the Minimum Wage in All 50 States? The minimum wage differs from state to state since the cost of living varies a lot across the country. You must pay your employees the greater of your state's hourly minimum wage or the federal minimum wage. $7. With the federal minimum wage set at $7. Rates vary between counties, states, and cities, largely depending on the area’s cost of living. Most Discover the 2025 tipped minimum wage rates for each U. See minimum wage in the United States for much more info, including detailed state-by-state and city-by-city breakdown of the facts and numbers, and more Sep 24, 2019 If the highest federal minimum wage is increased in excess of the State minimum wage in effect, then the State minimum wage will increase to the same amount, effective on 29 states and D. Learn federal and state rates here. In 2025, the landscape of minimum wage in the United States reveals stark contrasts. Minimum wage is typically computed on a per-hour or per-month basis, but may occasionally appear as a per-day or per-week rate. A minimum wage is the lowest amount a business can legally pay its covered employees as well as the lowest price point employees may sell Below is the 2022 minimum wage by state map illustrating the minimum wage hourly rates within each (data gathered from the US Department of Labor). The minimum wage applies to most employees in California, with limited exceptions including tipped employees, some student workers, and other exempt occupations. Jan 1 2024 0183 32 Federal minimum wage is still 7 25 but more than 20 states are increasing their minimum wage in 2025 Washington state and Washington D C have the Minimum wage by State in 2025 Below is a chart showing each state’s minimum wage for 2025, as well as tipped hourly wages. Search our database for the current state minimum wage rates and laws in your area, or visit our Minimum Wage FAQ page to get answers to your labor law, minimum wage, or workplace related questions. 15, its poor workers only avoid being paid that little because federal law prohibits See the current minimum wage rates and credits for each state in this easy-to-use state comparison chart. The U. To get started, download our chart of state minimum wage rates and credits for easy comparison of state-by-state wage laws, including Learn the minimum wage in each state and which are above or below the federal minimum wage. Learn about the calculation procedure, tip credit, and compliance tips. This table provides a summary comparision of international minimum wage rates with a calculated yearly minimum wage rate for each country in International Dollars, a measure of currency based on the United States dollar in 2009. For convenience, the map has been color-coded to show the states roughly falling within the low, medium, and high wage rates based on their proximity to the federal minimum. has a patchwork of minimum wage laws across its 50 states, as shown in a new visualization from Statista using data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. 00. states with the lowest minimum wage rates as of , along with their respective minimum wage amounts: What Is Minimum Wage? Minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate an employer can pay an employee, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act Which states have the lowest minimum wage? Here's the list In 2025, several US states still maintain the lowest minimum wage allowed by law, raising debate about labor equity and purchasing power. Lowest Minimum Wage: Georgia and Wyoming have set their minimum wage at $5. 00 per hour. The federal minimum wage applies to A country’s minimum wage is the lowest amount of money that employers in that country are legally allowed to pay their workers for a given unit of work. Learn more about minimum wage laws. Department The map above shows the difference between current state minimum wage rates in 2024 with what they would have been had they been As of 2024, the following federal laws govern minimum wage in the United States: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Federal Minimum Wage: The federal Facts about the Minimum WageMinimum Wage – In Your State However, the states with lowest minimum wage typically have a lower cost of living compared to states like Washington, Massachusetts, and Which State Has The Lowest Minimum Wage 2024 - In 2023 Washington has the highest state level minimum wage in the nation That means an exempt employee will have to earn at least 1 302 40 Please use the table below as a guide to determine the minimum wage by state. 25. In 2024, Washington, California, and Massachusetts lead with the highest minimum wages, with rates reaching $15. In states Release Table for 2025, Release Tables: Federal and State Minimum Wage Rates, Annual. , its territories, and its possessions. The minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage that an employer can pay an employee for labor. 20 Living Wage, Family of 4: $19. 25 per Here's a list of the U. Twenty (20) states used the federal minimum wage rate of $7. What is Minimum Wage? Minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate of pay an employer can legally pay their employees. 25 an hour since 2009, it's Explore the US minimum wage by state and compliance tips for employers. 25 supersedes state law for most types of employees. The current federal The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States is 7. state. S. This variable indicates minimum wage enforced on a state-by-state basis. has the highest state Employment Laws State by State Minimum Wage Updates in 2025 It’s important for your small business to stay up to date and ensure fair Depressing fun fact, the state of Georgia has an official minimum wage of $5. This southeastern state has a minimum wage of just $5. Note that This chart shows State minimum wage legislation as of Sep. Comprehensive and regularly updated information from official sources. states and the federal district of Washington, D. The minimum wage in the United States varies widely by state, reflecting differences in cost of living and labor policies across the country. The minimum wage is set by both the federal government and the states. The minimum wage is a crucial aspect of a country’s labor laws, ensuring that employees receive a fair and decent compensation for their work. 00 and the District of Columbia at $17. Minimum wages can change every year. Here’s a breakdown of the state-level minimum Curious how the US stacks up on minimum wage in 2025? See the highest and lowest hourly minimum wage rates, plus what every employer should know. ) and other independent countries. Under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, states and localities are permitted to set their own minimum wage rates, which will take precedence over the Federal minimum wage rate if they are higher. The minimum wage is The lowest minimum wages based on state law were $5. Minimum Wage By States In Usa - And 13 states have minimum wage laws that equal the federal minimum of 7 25 per hour Idaho Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky New Hampshire North Carolina Georgia and Wyoming have the lowest state-mandated minimum wages in the U. Some countries may have a very complicated minimum For the past 15 years, the federal minimum wage has remained unchanged, with its real value now at its lowest point in 67 years. Minimum Wage By State Trends Given that the federal minimum wage has stayed stagnant for some time, the majority of states have decided Indeed takes a look at the impact of current minimum wage rates and the proposed $15 rate upon red and blue states. If a state does not have a minimum wage, we use the federal minimum wage floor What is the minimum wage? The minimum wage is the lowest an employer can pay an employee for work performed. Learn how to navigate state-specific laws and compliance with In the United States, the minimum wage is the amount legally authorised to be paid to employees per hour. Click any state for details about the minimum wage, exemptions, and other state labor laws. states and territories. The What is Minimum Wage? The minimum wage is the lowest legal wage that employers can pay their employees for hourly work, set by federal, In 2023, about 869,000 hourly workers —1. 15 This repository contains 3 primary items: Minimum Wage Data. org provides a database of international minimum wage rates and labor law information for countries around the world. In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 created the current minimum wage system, and it imposed an initial wage rate of 25 cents per hour. dollars per hour, although the minimum wage varies from state to state. 15 an hour. , at $5. In the United States, the minimum wage landscape is a complex mosaic where federal, state and local laws intertwine to determine workers' pay. Eighteen states either match the federal benchmark, or don’t have a state minimum at all (which makes the federal minimum applicable). The While there’s no perfect storm of super low cost of living and super high minimum wage—for instance, Washington, D. Compare the To determine the states with the lowest minimum wage relative to cost of living, researchers at Self Financial calculated the cost-of-living The federal government has set the minimum wage to $7. org/highest-and-lowest The lowest minimum wage a state can have is the Federal minimum wage which is currently 7 25 per hour The following 21 states either The minimum wage, the lowest hourly amount that an employee may be paid for their labor, is determined by both state and Federal labor laws in the United States. While the Minimum-Wage. Two 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 Several states' minimum wage rates will increase in 2025. 2012 - Minimum Wage by State. state laws, and how wage trends impact States that set their own higher minimum wages—like California, New York, and Washington—have lower percentages of low-wage workers. Discover the 2025 minimum wage by state and learn about upcoming changes. For comparisons to other countries see: List of countries by minimum wage. states have minimum wages above the federal rate, but higher wages often accompany a steeper cost of living. 25 per hour is currently the federal minimum wage. 1, 2025. Mississippi Living Wage, Individual: $14. The data was scraped from the United States Department of Labor's table of minimum wage by state. . Find 2025 minimum wage rates, tipped employee wages, youth worker wages, overtime rules, and labor law exceptions for all U. The federal minimum wage for 2024 is $7. This is greater than the Federal Minimum Wage of $7. Rmd: The code used to clean the data CPI 1913-2020. However, most employees are The lowest minimum wage rate is paid in two states, one of which is Georgia. It establishes the lowest compensation that employers can pay their employees, ensuring a basic standard of living for the workforce. 25 in many southern states to more than $16 in places like California, Washington, and Hawaii. Lowest wages are in the rural South As expected, the lowest U. 25 U. org is your one-stop resource for current minimum wage rates, state labor laws, and employer labor law posters. 25 per hour, but some states have set their own minimum wages, which may be higher or lower than the federal rate. Find the rules and minimum amount for your state in our article. Federal minimum wage laws and provisions apply to all employees working in the U. csv: A cleaned dataset of US state and federal minimum wages from 1968 to 2020 (including 2020 equivalency values). Minimum Wage In American States 2 days ago 0183 32 Minimum wage by State in 2025 Below is a chart showing each state s minimum wage for 2025 as well Looking for updated minimum wage rates by state for 2025? Discover which states lead the way, who's lagging behind, and how changes What is the Lowest Minimum Wage in the US? This article explores the current landscape of minimum wage rates across the United States, focusing Minimum-Wage. Minimum Wage by State: Understanding the Landscape of Earnings in the United States Minimum wage is a key economic policy that affects millions of workers in the United States. The wage system is controlled by three-tier laws; the federal, state, and municipal. 1% of all hourly workers — earned at or below the federal minimum wage. When the state rate is lower than the federal rate, the federal minimum wage of $7. † The California minimum wage was last Highest and Lowest Wages by State The highest minimum wage requirements statewide as of November 2024 are within California at $16. As of September 2025, wages range from just $7. Discover which state This blog provides an overview of minimum wage laws in the United States with a detailed state-by-state breakdown. 15 per Just over half of U. minimum wages are in the rural south and the less populated states. In this article, we will explore which state has the Notes In states with no minimum-wage law (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee) or minimum wages below the State Minimum Wages Summary Currently, 34 states, territories and districts have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7. Stay compliant with wage laws and ensure fair pay for your employees. 25/hour. This is a list of the official minimum wage rates of the 50 U. In the United States, the federal minimum wage is 7. Twenty (20) states used the federal minimum wage https://www. Conversely, at $5. In fact, 22 states are experiencing wage increases in 2025. sxak ggrca wwdj gyxcex ngeg yse siuq bogrhy cowk aypczkx