Minimum Wage by State in 2026, and Where It Rose
From $7.25 to $18.40, depending entirely on where you work.
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Marcus Ellery Senior editor, tax and payrollMarcus edits the tax and paycheck desks, and owns the federal figures every calculator on the site reads from.
State minimum wages in 2026 range from the federal floor of $7.25 to $18.40 in the District of Columbia. Twenty states still use the federal rate. Where a state sets a rate below $7.25, the federal minimum applies instead for employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The short version
- The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and roughly twenty states use it as their own floor with no state increase.
- The District of Columbia has the highest minimum wage in the country at $18.40 an hour, which is $38,272 a year at 40 hours a week.
- A full-time worker at $7.25 earns $15,080 a year, which is below the 2026 single standard deduction of $16,100, so no federal income tax is due.
- Where federal, state and local minimums differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to that worker.
- Wyoming's state minimum of $5.15 is below the federal floor and applies only to workers not covered by the federal law.
Key figures · 2026
- Federal minimum wage
- $7.25
- US DOL
- Highest (DC)
- $18.40
- US DOL
- Highest state (WA)
- $17.13
- US DOL
- States at the federal floor
- 20
- US DOL
Contents
What is the minimum wage where I work?
It depends on your state, and sometimes your city. The federal minimum is $7.25 an hour and has not changed since 2009. States may set a higher rate, and many have.
Highest rates in 2026
| Jurisdiction | Rate |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $18.40 |
| Washington | $17.13 |
| New York (downstate) | $17.00 |
| Connecticut | $16.94 |
| California | $16.90 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 |
| Hawaii | $16.00 |
At the federal floor: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
What if my state's rate is below the federal one?
The federal rate wins. Georgia sets $5.15 and Wyoming sets $5.15, but employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (which is most of them) must pay $7.25.
Which states have regional rates?
Several do not have a single number:
- Oregon runs three rates: $16.80 in the Portland metro, $15.55 standard, $14.55 in non-urban counties.
- New York pays $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester, and $16.00 elsewhere.
- Ohio pays $11.00 at employers grossing above roughly $394,000, and $7.25 below that.
- Montana pays $10.85, with $4.00 for certain small businesses not covered by federal law.
Do cities set their own minimum wage?
Yes, in many states. Several California cities, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis and St Paul all set local rates above their state floor. Where a city rate applies, it is the one you are owed.
When do rates change?
Most changes take effect on 1 January. A smaller group (including some Oregon and California city rates) change on 1 July.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal minimum wage in 2026?
$7.25 an hour. It has not changed since 2009.
Which state has the highest minimum wage?
The District of Columbia at $18.40. Among states, Washington is highest at $17.13.
What if my state rate is lower than federal?
The federal $7.25 applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which is the large majority.
Can a city set a higher rate?
Yes. Where a city minimum is higher than the state or federal rate, the city rate is what you are owed.
What is the tipped minimum wage?
Some states allow a lower cash wage for tipped workers, provided tips bring total pay to at least the full minimum.
When do minimum wages change?
Most on 1 January, with a smaller set of regional and city rates changing on 1 July.
Sources
Every figure on this page is attributed to a named source with the date it took effect. Our reviewers check them against the primary source before publication.
About our expert
Senior editor, tax and payroll
Experience
Marcus edits everything on this site that turns on a federal or state tax figure: brackets, standard deductions, withholding thresholds, FICA caps and the state rate tables behind the paycheck tools.
His working rule is that a number appears on a page only if it also exists in the data layer with a source and an effective date attached, so an article and the calculator beside it can never disagree.
Areas of expertise
- Federal tax
- State income tax
- Payroll withholding
- FICA
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