Minimum Wage Laws: 50-State Survey

Many states have their own minimum wage that is often higher than the federal minimum wage. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, but employees in states with a higher minimum wage are generally entitled to that benefit.

In most states, employees who are not being paid at least minimum wage can file a wage claim with their state’s department of labor. Employees may also be able to file a private cause of action against their employer for violating minimum wage law.

Employers are typically required to make up any difference between a tipped worker’s wages plus tips and the applicable minimum wage.

State law may allow employers to pay a lesser minimum wage to tipped workers. Generally, employers who opt to do so must make up any difference between a worker’s wage plus tips and the applicable minimum wage. While the federal Fair Labor Standards Act defines tipped workers as those who customarily and regularly receive at least $30 in tips a month, some states define tipped workers differently. For example, Maine, an outlier in this respect, defines tipped workers as those employees who customarily and regularly receive more than $175 a month in tips (as of 2023).

Like the requirement that employers post official FLSA posters in the workplace, employers may be required to post official state minimum wage posters. They often also must follow certain record-keeping requirements.

State minimum wage laws do not apply to all workers or employers. For example, employers with a very small number of employees or who make less than a certain amount of revenue a year are sometimes exempt from state minimum wage laws. Specific types of workers may also be exempt. For instance, Alaska exempts newspaper delivery people, babysitters, and those who work in agriculture, among others, from its minimum wage laws.

In states that do not have minimum wage laws or that have a lower minimum wage than federal law requires, the minimum wage set in the FLSA applies to covered workers. Workers covered by the federal minimum wage are generally employees of employers with a gross annual volume of sales or business of at least $500,000 or employees of employers engaged in interstate commerce. It also typically covers domestic workers and employees of government agencies, hospitals, and schools, although there are exemptions. Workers may also be covered by some local minimum wage laws.

Click on a state below to learn more about minimum wage laws in that state.

Note: The numbers provided in this survey are current as of May 2023. State minimum wage rates and laws are subject to change, and certain types of workers, such as workers under the age of 20, may be entitled to different rates. You should consult an employment lawyer if you are unsure about which minimum wage laws apply in your situation.

Alabama Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: No state law
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: No state law
  • Enforcement agency: None
  • Relevant law: N/A

Alabama has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage applies to workers covered by the FLSA.

Alaska Minimum Wage Laws

Alaska’s state minimum wage is $10.85 per hour. Alaska’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly for inflation. The state does not allow employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage. Public school bus drivers in Alaska are entitled to at least two times the state minimum wage.

Arizona Minimum Wage Laws

Arizona’s state minimum wage is $13.85 per hour. Arizona’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the cost of living. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees up to $3.00 less per hour than the applicable minimum wage.

Arkansas Minimum Wage Laws

Arkansas’ state minimum wage is $11.00 per hour for employers with four or more employees. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.63 per hour.

California Minimum Wage Laws

California’s state minimum wage is $15.50 per hour. California’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly by formula. The state does not permit employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage.

Colorado Minimum Wage Laws

Colorado’s state minimum wage is $13.65 per hour. Colorado’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the cost of living. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees up to $3.02 less per hour than the applicable minimum wage.

Connecticut Minimum Wage Laws

Connecticut's state minimum wage is $14.00 per hour and will increase to $15.00 per hour on June 1, 2023. Connecticut’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the employment cost index. Connecticut’s minimum wage automatically increases to 0.5 percent above the federal minimum wage if the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s. The state permits employers to pay service workers in hotels and restaurants $6.38 per hour and bartenders $8.23 per hour.

Delaware Minimum Wage Laws

Delaware’s state minimum wage is $11.75 per hour. Delaware’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly for inflation. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.23 per hour. Delaware adopts the federal minimum wage if it becomes higher than the state’s.

Florida Minimum Wage Laws

Florida’s state minimum wage is $11.00 per hour and will increase to $12.00 per hour on September 30, 2023. Florida’s minimum wage will increase by $1.00 annually until it reaches $15.00 per hour in 2026 and thereafter will adjust yearly for inflation. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $7.98 per hour, which will increase to $8.98 per hour on September 30, 2023.

Georgia Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: $5.15
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: N/A
  • Enforcement agency: None
  • Relevant law: Georgia Code Section 34-4-1 et seq.

Georgia’s state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour for employers with six or more employees. Workers covered by the FLSA are entitled to the federal minimum wage as long as it remains higher than the state minimum wage. There is no law on minimum wages for tipped employees in Georgia, but tipped employees covered by the FLSA must be paid at least $2.13 per hour.

Hawaii Minimum Wage Laws

Hawaii’s state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour. Hawaii’s minimum wage will increase by $2.00 every two years until it reaches $18.00 per hour in 2028. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $11.00 per hour. Hawaii’s tip credit, meaning the amount under minimum wage that an employer may pay tipped employees, will increase to $1.25 on January 1, 2024, and to $1.50 on January 1, 2028. However, an employee’s wages plus tips must be at least $7.00 more than the applicable minimum wage for an employer to take a tip credit. Employees who earn a guaranteed $2,000 per month or more are exempt from the state minimum wage law, among certain other workers.

Idaho Minimum Wage Laws

Idaho’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $3.35 per hour.

Illinois Minimum Wage Laws

Illinois’ state minimum wage is $13.00 per hour for employers with four or more employees, excluding immediate family members. Illinois’ minimum wage will increase by $1.00 annually until it reaches $15.00 per hour in 2025. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees up to 40 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Indiana Minimum Wage Laws

Indiana’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for employers with two or more employees. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour.

Iowa Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: $7.25
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: $4.35
  • Enforcement agency: Iowa Division of Labor
  • Relevant law: Iowa Code Section 91D.1

Iowa’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $4.35 per hour.

Kansas Minimum Wage Laws

Kansas’ state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Employees covered under the FLSA are exempt from the state’s minimum wage law.

Kentucky Minimum Wage Laws

Kentucky’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, Kentucky’s minimum wage automatically increases to the same amount. The state adopts the federal minimum wage for tipped workers of $2.13 per hour.

Louisiana Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: No state law
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: No state law
  • Enforcement agency: None
  • Relevant law: N/A

Louisiana has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage applies to workers covered by the FLSA.

Maine Minimum Wage Laws

Maine’s state minimum wage is $13.80 per hour. Maine’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the cost of living. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, Maine’s minimum wage automatically increases to the same amount. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees up to 50 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Maryland Minimum Wage Laws

Maryland’s state minimum wage is $13.25 per hour for employers with more than 14 employees and $12.80 per hour for employers with 14 or fewer employees. Maryland’s minimum wage will increase incrementally annually until it reaches $15.00 per hour for large employers in 2025 and for small employers in July 2026. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $3.63 per hour.

Massachusetts Minimum Wage Laws

Massachusetts’ state minimum wage is $15.00 per hour. Massachusetts law specifies that its minimum wage cannot be less than $0.50 higher than the federal minimum wage. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $6.75 per hour.

Michigan Minimum Wage Laws

Michigan’s state minimum wage is $10.10 per hour for employers with two or more employees. Michigan’s minimum wage will increase incrementally annually until it reaches $12.05 per hour in 2031, so long as the state’s unemployment rate remains below 8.5 percent. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees 38 percent of the applicable minimum wage.

Minnesota Minimum Wage Laws

Minnesota’s state minimum wage is $10.59 per hour for employers with annual gross revenue of at least $500,000 (excluding excise taxes listed separately) and $8.63 per hour for employers with annual gross revenue of less than $500,000. Minnesota’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly by formula. The state does not allow employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage.

Mississippi Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: No state law
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: No state law
  • Enforcement agency: None
  • Relevant law: N/A

Mississippi has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage applies to workers covered by the FLSA.

Missouri Minimum Wage Laws

Missouri’s state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour. Missouri’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the cost of living. Employees of retail or service businesses whose annual gross income is less than $500,000 are exempt from the state minimum wage law, among certain other workers. Missouri adopts the federal minimum wage if it becomes higher than the state’s. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees up to 50 percent less than the applicable minimum wage. The state also allows employers to credit the fair market value of any goods or services received by an employee without any discretion on their part against the minimum wage.

Montana Minimum Wage Laws

Montana’s state minimum wage is $9.95 per hour for employers with annual gross sales of more than $110,000 and $4.00 per hour for employers with annual gross sales of $110,000 or less that are not covered by the FLSA. If an employee is covered by the FLSA, including those employees who move goods between states, they must be paid the greater of the federal minimum wage or Montana’s minimum wage. Montana’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the cost of living. The state does not permit employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage.

Nebraska Minimum Wage Laws

Nebraska’s state minimum wage is $10.50 per hour for employers with four or more employees. Nebraska’s minimum wage will increase by $1.50 annually until it reaches $15.00 per hour in 2026 and thereafter will adjust yearly according to the cost of living. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour.

Nevada Minimum Wage Laws

Nevada’s state minimum wage is $10.50 per hour for employers who do not offer qualifying health benefits and $9.50 per hour for those who do. Nevada’s minimum wage will increase by $0.75 per hour in July 2023 and again in July 2024. The two-tiered minimum wage system based on health benefits will be eliminated in July 2024. The state does not permit employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage.

New Hampshire Minimum Wage Laws

New Hampshire’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, as adopted from the federal minimum wage. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees 45 percent of the applicable minimum wage.

New Jersey Minimum Wage Laws

New Jersey’s state minimum wage is $14.13 per hour for employers with six or more employees and $12.93 for seasonal employers and employers with fewer than six employees. New Jersey’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly by formula. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, New Jersey’s minimum wage automatically increases to the same amount. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $5.26 per hour.

New Mexico Minimum Wage Laws

New Mexico’s state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $3.00 per hour.

New York Minimum Wage Laws

New York’s state minimum wage is $14.20 per hour. Fast food workers throughout New York State are entitled to $15.00 per hour. New York City’s minimum wage is also $15.00 per hour. New York State’s minimum wage will increase yearly until it reaches $15.00 per hour. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, New York’s minimum wage automatically increases to the same amount. The state permits employers to pay tipped service employees $11.85 per hour and tipped food service workers $9.45 per hour. In New York City, the minimum wage is $12.50 per hour for tipped service employees and $10.00 per hour for tipped food service workers.

North Carolina Minimum Wage Laws

North Carolina’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, as adopted from the federal minimum wage. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour. Many employees covered under the FLSA are exempt from the state’s minimum wage law, among certain other workers.

North Dakota Minimum Wage Laws

North Dakota’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees up to 33 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Ohio Minimum Wage Laws

Ohio’s state minimum wage is $10.70 per hour for employers with annual gross revenue of $394,000 or more and $7.25 per hour for employers with annual gross revenue of less than $394,000. Ohio’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly by formula. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees up to 50 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Oklahoma Minimum Wage Lawsa

Oklahoma’s state minimum wage, as adopted from the federal minimum wage, is $7.25 per hour for employers with 10 or more full-time employees at any one location or with annual gross sales of more than $100,000, and $2.00 per hour for other employers. Employees covered under the FLSA are exempt from the state’s minimum wage law, among certain other workers. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees up to 50 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Oregon Minimum Wage Laws

Oregon’s state minimum wage is $13.50 per hour. Oregon’s minimum wage in urban growth boundaries is $14.75 per hour and $12.50 in non-urban counties. Oregon’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly for inflation. The state does not allow employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage.

Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Laws

Pennsylvania’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage automatically increases to the same amount. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $2.83 per hour.

Rhode Island Minimum Wage Laws

Rhode Island’s state minimum wage is $13.00 per hour. Rhode Island’s minimum wage will increase by $1.00 annually until it reaches $15.00 per hour in 2025. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $3.89 per hour.

South Carolina Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: No state law
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: No state law
  • Enforcement agency: None
  • Relevant law: N/A

South Carolina has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage applies to workers covered by the FLSA.

South Dakota Minimum Wage Laws

South Dakota’s state minimum wage is $10.80 per hour. South Dakota’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly based on the cost of living. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees up to 50 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Tennessee Minimum Wage Laws

  • State minimum wage: No state law
  • Tipped employee minimum wage: No state law
  • Enforcement agency: None
  • Relevant law: N/A

Tennessee has no state minimum wage law. The federal minimum wage applies to workers covered by the FLSA.

Texas Minimum Wage Laws

Texas’ state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, as adopted from the federal minimum wage. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour. Employees covered under the FLSA are exempt from the state’s minimum wage law, among certain other workers.

Utah Minimum Wage Laws

Utah’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, as adopted from the federal minimum wage. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour. Employees covered under the FLSA are exempt from the state’s minimum wage law, among certain other workers.

Vermont Minimum Wage Laws

Vermont’s state minimum wage is $13.18 per hour for employers with two or more employees. Vermont’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly by formula. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, Vermont’s minimum wage automatically increases to the same amount. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees up to 50 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Virginia Minimum Wage Laws

Virginia’s state minimum wage is $12.00 per hour. Virginia’s minimum wage will increase to $13.50 per hour in 2025 and $15.00 per hour in 2026, and thereafter will adjust yearly by formula. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state’s, Virginia adopts the federal minimum wage. The state permits employers to take a tip credit, meaning the amount under minimum wage that an employer may pay tipped employees, equal to the tips that an employee receives, so long as the employee’s wages plus tips is at least the minimum wage. (The minimum wage of $2.13 per hour for tipped employees under the FLSA generally also applies to give employees more protection.)

Washington Minimum Wage Laws

Washington’s state minimum wage is $15.74 per hour. Washington’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly for inflation. The state does not allow employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage.

Washington, D.C. Minimum Wage Laws

Washington, D.C.’s minimum wage is $16.10 per hour. Washington, D.C.’s minimum wage is adjusted yearly by formula. The “living wage rate,” which applies to certain recipients of D.C. government contracts or assistance, is $16.50 per hour. In July 2023, both the minimum wage and the living wage will increase to $17.00. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the district’s, Washington, D.C.’s minimum wage automatically increases to $1.00 more than the federal minimum wage. Office building security officers are entitled to wages and benefits at least equal to the combined amount of the minimum wage and fringe benefit rate for the guard 1 classification of the U.S. Secretary of Labor. The district permits employers to pay tipped employees $6.00 per hour, which will increase to $8.00 per hour in July 2023.

West Virginia Minimum Wage Laws

West Virginia’s state minimum wage is $8.75 per hour for employers with six or more employees at one location. West Virginia adopts the federal minimum wage if it becomes higher than the state’s. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees up to 70 percent less than the applicable minimum wage.

Wisconsin Minimum Wage Laws

Wisconsin’s state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. The state permits employers to pay tipped employees $2.33 per hour.

Wyoming Minimum Wage Laws

Wyoming’s state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. As long as it remains higher than the state minimum wage, workers covered by the FLSA are entitled to the federal minimum wage. The state allows employers to pay tipped employees $2.13 per hour.

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