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
- Connecticut ranks #1 with the highest min wage at $16.35.
- Wyoming ranks last at $7.25 — the lowest among all states.
- The leading 5 states are Connecticut, Washington, California, New York, New Jersey.
- All data is sourced from verified government databases and updated for 2026.
Top 3 States
1
Connecticut
Highest Min Wage
Min Wage $16.35
Tipped Wage $6.38
COL Index 112.8
2
Washington
Highest Min Wage
Min Wage $16.28
Tipped Wage $16.28
COL Index 110.7
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 | Connecticut | $16.35 | $6.38 | 112.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 2 | Washington | $16.28 | $16.28 | 110.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 3 | California | $16 | $16 | 142.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 4 | New York | $16 | $10.65 | 123.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 5 | New Jersey | $15.49 | $5.62 | 115.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 6 | Maryland | $15 | $3.63 | 115.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $15 | $6.75 | 135 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 8 | Oregon | $14.7 | $14.7 | 113.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 9 | Colorado | $14.42 | $11.4 | 105.1 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 10 | Arizona | $14.35 | $11.35 | 102.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 11 | Maine | $14.15 | $7.08 | 109.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 12 | Hawaii | $14 | $12.75 | 193.3 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 13 | Illinois | $14 | $8.4 | 96.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $14 | $3.89 | 107.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 15 | Vermont | $13.67 | $6.84 | 114.5 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 16 | Delaware | $13.25 | $2.23 | 101.5 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 17 | Florida | $13 | $9.98 | 102.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 18 | Missouri | $12.3 | $6.15 | 89.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 19 | Nebraska | $12 | $2.13 | 90.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 20 | Nevada | $12 | $12 | 104.2 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 21 | New Mexico | $12 | $3 | 94.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 22 | Virginia | $12 | $2.13 | 103.7 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 23 | Alaska | $11.73 | $11.73 | 125.9 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 24 | South Dakota | $11.2 | $5.6 | 92.6 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 25 | Arkansas | $11 | $2.63 | 89 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 26 | Minnesota | $10.85 | $10.85 | 96.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 27 | Ohio | $10.45 | $5.25 | 90.8 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 28 | Michigan | $10.33 | $3.93 | 91.4 | Minimum Wage Calculator |
| 29 | Montana | $10.3 | $10.3 | 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
Frequently 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.