Guide 50 States
Minimum Wage by State Rankings
State minimum wages range from the federal minimum of $7.25/hour to over $16/hour. Below are all 50 states ranked by minimum wage from highest to lowest, with tipped wage and cost-of-living context.
Verified Data
Ranked by Min Wage
Editorially Reviewed
Updated
Key Takeaways
- Washington ranks #1 with the highest min wage at $16.66.
- Wyoming ranks last at $7.25 — the lowest among all states.
- The leading 5 states are Washington, California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey.
- All data is sourced from verified government databases and updated for 2026.
Top 3 States
1
Washington
Highest Min Wage
Min Wage $16.66
Tipped Wage $16.66
COL Index 110.7
2
California
Highest Min Wage
Min Wage $16.5
Tipped Wage $16.5
COL Index 142.2
3
New York
Highest Min Wage
Min Wage $16.5
Tipped Wage $11.15
COL Index 123.8
All 50 States Ranked
Highest to lowest by min wage
Scroll horizontally to see all columns
| # | State | Min Wage | Tipped Wage | COL Index | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $16.66 | $16.66 | 110.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 2 | California | $16.5 | $16.5 | 142.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 3 | New York | $16.5 | $11.15 | 123.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 4 | Connecticut | $16.35 | $6.38 | 112.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 5 | New Jersey | $15.49 | $5.62 | 115.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 6 | Delaware | $15 | $2.23 | 101.5 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 7 | Illinois | $15 | $9 | 96.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 8 | Maryland | $15 | $3.63 | 115.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $15 | $6.75 | 135 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $15 | $3.89 | 107.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 11 | Colorado | $14.81 | $11.79 | 105.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 12 | Arizona | $14.7 | $11.7 | 102.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 13 | Oregon | $14.7 | $14.7 | 113.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 14 | Maine | $14.65 | $7.33 | 109.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 15 | Vermont | $14.01 | $7.01 | 114.5 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 16 | Hawaii | $14 | $13.25 | 193.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 17 | Missouri | $13.75 | $6.88 | 89.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 18 | Nebraska | $13.5 | $2.13 | 90.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 19 | Florida | $13 | $9.98 | 102.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 20 | Michigan | $12.48 | $10.73 | 91.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 21 | Nevada | $12 | $12 | 104.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 22 | New Mexico | $12 | $3 | 94.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 23 | Virginia | $12 | $2.13 | 103.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 24 | Alaska | $11.73 | $11.73 | 125.9 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 25 | South Dakota | $11.5 | $5.75 | 92.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 26 | Minnesota | $11.13 | $11.13 | 96.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 27 | Arkansas | $11 | $2.63 | 89 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 28 | Ohio | $10.7 | $5.35 | 90.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 29 | Montana | $10.55 | $10.55 | 101.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 30 | West Virginia | $8.75 | $2.63 | 84.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 31 | Alabama | $7.25 | $2.13 | 88.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 32 | Georgia | $7.25 | $2.13 | 93.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 33 | Idaho | $7.25 | $3.35 | 97.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 34 | Indiana | $7.25 | $2.13 | 90.5 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 35 | Iowa | $7.25 | $4.35 | 90.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 36 | Kansas | $7.25 | $2.13 | 86.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 37 | Kentucky | $7.25 | $2.13 | 90.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 38 | Louisiana | $7.25 | $2.13 | 91.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 39 | Mississippi | $7.25 | $2.13 | 83.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $7.25 | $3.27 | 112.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 41 | North Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | 95.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 42 | North Dakota | $7.25 | $4.86 | 92.5 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $7.25 | $2.13 | 86.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $2.83 | 98.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 45 | South Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | 95 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 46 | Tennessee | $7.25 | $2.13 | 89.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 47 | Texas | $7.25 | $2.13 | 93.9 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 48 | Utah | $7.25 | $2.13 | 101.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $7.25 | $2.33 | 93.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 50 | Wyoming | $7.25 | $2.13 | 95.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
Methodology
How we collected and ranked the data
Minimum wage data from Department of Labor. States without their own minimum wage follow the federal rate of $7.25/hour. Tipped minimum wage varies significantly.
Government data sources
Updated annually
Editorially reviewed
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View all 107 state comparisonsFrequently Asked Questions
Which state has the highest minimum wage?
Washington state has one of the highest minimum wages at $16.28/hour. California and New York also have high minimums, especially in certain cities.
What is the federal minimum wage?
The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour and has not changed since 2009. States can set higher minimums.