Minimum Wage by State – Which States Pay the Most
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With inflation on the rise and worries about a recession, it’s only natural to think about how much money you make — and how your earnings stack up against the average in your state. The federal minimum wage was $5.85 in July of 2007 and has increased to $7.25 as of July 2009. Even so, 16 years later, there haven’t been any minimum wage increases at the federal level.
While small employers may just be able to afford the federal minimum wage, large employers can likely pay a bit more than the average federal and state minimum wage rates. For this reason, minimum wage may fluctuate depending on what kind of company you work at and where you live. This also means that if you’re working for minimum wage at a company with fewer employees, you can likely expect to do much more work for much less pay.
Of course, nobody really wants to make minimum wage forever. Even so, this is the starting point for many entry-level jobs. I felt the extra pay bump when I was working as a summer camp counselor, and the minimum wage was increased in 2009, and I know that many of my coworkers were excited about the difference it made in the remainder of their paychecks. Learn more about minimum wage laws and rates (as well as how your state stacks up against others) below.
In this article
Who decides minimum wage?
How the federal minimum wage is set
The Federal government is responsible for setting the federal minimum wage, reported in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The last time this was amended was in July of 2009, when it was raised to $7.25 an hour across the country. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the first federal minimum wage into law in 1933 as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act. For the minimum wage to be increased, Congress must pass a bill ratified and signed by the president.
How the state minimum wage is set
While every state must abide by the federal minimum wage rates, some municipalities and states choose to offer a higher minimum wage that differs from the state minimum wage laws. Generally, these are voted on by the public through various ballot measures, which state governments then implement if they pass. This was how states like Arizona and Washington raised their minimum wages.
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Minimum wage by state
While some states stick with the federal minimum wage rates, not all states do. Especially in states with larger metropolitan cities, it’s not uncommon for the minimum wage to be higher.
Here is a helpful chart of minimum wage rates by state according to data from the Department of Labor as of 2022.
State | Minimum Wage Rate |
Alabama | $7.25 per hour |
Alaska | $10.34 per hour |
Arizona | $12.80 per hour |
Arkansas | $11 per hour |
California | $15 per hour |
Colorado | $12.56 per hour |
Connecticut | $13 per hour |
Delaware | $10.50 per hour |
District of Columbia | $16.10 per hour |
Florida | $10.00 per hour |
Georgia | $7.25 per hour |
Hawaii | $10.10 per hour |
Idaho | $7.25 per hour |
Illinois | $12.00 per hour |
Indiana | $7.25 per hour |
Iowa | $7.25 per hour |
Kansas | $7.25 per hour |
Kentucky | $7.25 per hour |
Louisiana | $7.25 per hour |
Maine | $12.75 per hour |
Maryland | $12.50 per hour |
Massachusetts | $14.25 per hour |
Michigan | $9.87 per hour |
Minnesota | $10.33 per hour |
Mississippi | $7.25 per hour |
Missouri | $11.15 per hour |
Montana | $9.20 per hour |
Nebraska | $9.00 per hour |
Nevada | $10.50 per hour |
New Hampshire | $7.25 per hour |
New Jersey | $13.00 per hour |
New Mexico | $11.50 per hour |
New York | $13.20 per hour |
North Carolina | $7.25 per hour |
North Dakota | $7.25 per hour |
Ohio | $9.30 per hour |
Oklahoma | $7.25 per hour |
Oregon | $13.50 per hour |
Pennsylvania | $7.25 per hour |
Puerto Rico | $8.50 per hour |
Rhode Island | $12.25 per hour |
South Carolina | $7.25 per hour |
South Dakota | $9.95 per hour |
Tennessee | $7.25 per hour |
Texas | $7.25 per hour |
Utah | $7.25 per hour |
Vermont | $12.55 per hour |
Virginia | $11.00 per hour |
Washington | $14.49 per hour |
West Virginia | $8.75 per hour |
Wisconsin | $7.25 per hour |
Wyoming | $7.25 per hour |
Some exceptions to the minimum wage data above
While the rates above are generally standard for the state, there are some cities or counties where there’s a higher minimum wage. For example, a company with fewer than 25 employees in California must have a minimum wage of $14.00 an hour. The same is true in Minnesota, where the minimum wage for small employers is $8.42 an hour.
In some scenarios, employees make more money living in a larger metropolitan area. For example, the minimum wage in New York City is $15 an hour for large employers, with Chicago paying $15 an hour to companies with 21 or more employees. In the Portland Metro Area, the minimum wage is $14.75 compared to the $13.50 an hour in other areas of the state.
All in all, it’s best to double-check that your county or city doesn’t have a higher minimum wage than your state set forth. In some situations, simply moving to a different county could net you a raise in and of itself. Here is a list of all of the counties and cities that have different minimum wages than the state minimum:
City or County | Current Minimum Wage |
Flagstaff, AZ | $15.50 per hour |
Tucson, AZ | $13 per hour |
Belmont, CA | $16.20 per hour |
Berkeley, CA | $16.32 per hour |
Cupertino, CA | $16.40 per hour |
Daly City, CA | $15.53 per hour |
El Cerrito, CA | $16.37 per hour |
Fremont, CA | $16 per hour |
Los Altos, CA | $16.40 per hour |
Los Angeles, CA | $16.04 per hour |
Malibu, CA | $15 per hour |
Mountain View, CA | $17.10 per hour |
Oakland, CA | $15.06 per hour |
Palo Alto, CA | $16.25 per hour |
Pasadena, CA | $16.11 per hour |
Redwood City, CA | $16.20 per hour |
Richmond, CA | $15.54 per hour |
San Diego, CA | $15 per hour |
San Leandro, CA | $15 per hour |
San Mateo, CA | $16.20 per hour |
Santa Clara, CA | $16.40 per hour |
Santa Monica, CA | $15 per hour |
Sunnyvale, CA | $17.10 per hour |
Santa Rosa, CA | $15.85 per hour |
Novato, CA (100 or more employees) | $15.77 per hour |
Novato, CA (26-99 employees) | $15 per hour |
Novato, CA (25 employees or fewer) | $16.32 per hour |
San Francisco, CA | $16.32 per hour |
Alameda, CA | $15.75 per hour |
Emeryville, CA | $17.13 per hour |
Milpitas, CA | $15.65 per hour |
San Jose, CA | $16.20 per hour |
Sonoma, CA (Large Employers) | $16 per hour |
Sonoma, CA (Small Employers) | $15 per hour |
Menlo Park, CA | $15.75 per hour |
Petaluma, CA (26 or more employees) | $15.85 per hour |
Half Moon Bay, CA | $15.56 per hour |
South San Francisco, CA | $15.80 per hour |
East Palo Alto, CA | $15.60 per hour |
Hayward, CA (25 or fewer employees) | $14.52 per hour |
Hayward, CA (26 or more employees) | $15.56 per hour |
Burlingame, CA | $15.60 per hour |
San Carlos, CA | $15.77 per hour |
Denver, CO | $15.87 per hour |
Chicago, IL (21 or more employees) | $15 per hour |
Cook County, IL | $13 per hour |
Chicago, IL (4 to 20 employees) | $14 per hour |
Montgomery County, MD (51 or more employees) | $15 per hour |
Montgomery County, MD (between 11 and 50 employees) | $14 per hour |
Montgomery County, MD (10 or fewer employees) | $13.50 per hour |
Howard, MD | $14 per hour |
Portland, ME | $13 per hour |
Minneapolis, MN (101 or more employees) | $14.25 per hour |
Minneapolis, MIN (100 or fewer employees) | $12.50 per hour |
Albuquerque, NM (without benefits) | $11.50 per hour |
Bernalillo County, NM | $9.45 per hour |
Las Cruces, NM | $11.50 per hour |
Santa Fe, NM | $12.95 per hour |
Long Island County, NY | $15 per hour |
Westhester County, NY | $15 per hour |
New York City, NY (11 or more employees) | $15 per hour |
Non-Urban Counties in Oregon | $11.50 per hour |
Seattle, WA (501 or more employees) | $17.27 per hour |
Seatac, WA | $17.54 per hour |
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How to make more money if you’re making minimum wage
If you’re only making minimum wage, you may find it hard to meet ends. If you only make $7.25 an hour and work 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, that means you’re only making $14,500 annually — before taxes.
Since the Department of Health and Human Services sets the poverty level for a family of four at $27,750, both parents need to at least work a minimum wage job to make just above the poverty line. As of February 2022, the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in the United States is $1,295 a month, or $1,040 more yearly than a minimum worker’s full annual compensation.
That’s less than ideal, particularly with inflation on the rise. Here are a few ways to make more money if you’re currently making minimum wage.
Tackle your debt
If you have credit card interest or student loans taking a portion of your income from you each month, your budget might feel even more squeezed than normal. In these situations, paying down your debt more aggressively can lift a major weight off of your shoulders. It will feel like you’ve given yourself a raise!
Ask for a raise or promotion
Speaking of raises, if you’ve been with your current company for more than six months, it’s not a bad idea to ask your supervisor or manager what sorts of goals you’d need to accomplish to be up for a raise or a promotion. Doing so will allow you to plan how to achieve those metrics so that your employer can’t say no when you ask for a raise or a promotion.
Take on a side gig
Some minimum wage workers find ways to make more money on the side in addition to their 9-to-5 job. If you’re someone who has a car, consider delivering food via DoorDash or driving for Uber or Lyft. Making a little extra money each week can help you stay within your means and can help you tackle your debt more quickly.
Find a new job
Even in cities where the minimum wage is more than double the federal minimum, sometimes minimum wage just isn’t enough. If you feel like increasing your income is your only path towards greater success with your finances, start looking for new jobs — and don’t be too concerned about meeting all of the job requirements.
Whether you’ve worked for a fast food chain or as a lawn care professional, you have a lot of transferable skills to any company. Consider completing a certificate program or even night classes if you need extra experience to earn more income.
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The bottom line
While the federal minimum wage sets a specific pay standard for employees, it’s not the only rule governing minimum wage rates in the United States. Many individual states pay more than the federal minimum wage, and some cities or local counties have their minimum wage separate from their states.
Some minimum wage rates change based on whether you’re working for a small company (generally defined as 25 employees or fewer) or a large company (generally defined as 26 or more employees). All of this means that you might be making more than the federal minimum wage just because of where you work and who you work for.
Ultimately, most people can’t live on minimum wage forever. Finding a new job, asking for a raise, or taking on a side gig may be necessary if you’re a minimum wage worker struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, even moving to a different city or state could boost your income, as long as the cost of living isn’t too much higher.
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Writer
Brent Ervin-Eickhoff is a Chicago-based writer, stage director, and filmmaker with a background in digital marketing and content creation. In addition to Joy Wallet, Brent has written for Complex, Volkswagen, HowlRound, Picture this Post, and Third Coast Review, among others. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation at Court Theatre at the University of Chicago. Brent graduated from Ball State University with Academic Honors in Writing.
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