Minimum Wage by State (2026): Highest, Lowest & the Federal Floor

The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009 — the longest freeze in its history. But 30 states have since set their own higher minimums, so what a worker actually earns at the bottom depends heavily on the state. Here's who's still at the floor, who's highest, and how it fits together.

The short version

• The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour and hasn't risen since 2009.
• 20 states still use that federal floor as their minimum.
• 30 states plus DC set a higher minimum; D.C. leads at $17.95.
• Many higher-wage states index their minimum to inflation, so it rises automatically.

What's the federal minimum wage?

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, set in 2009. It's the national floor: no state can go below it for covered workers. But states (and cities) are free to set higher minimums, and over time most have — leaving the federal rate as the effective minimum in only part of the country.

States still at the federal floor

These 20 states have not set a minimum above $7.25, so the federal rate is their minimum wage:

In these states, a full-time minimum-wage worker earns about $15,000 a year before taxes — the same nominal figure as in 2009, worth considerably less after inflation.

The highest minimum wage states

At the other end, a cluster of states (and D.C.) have pushed well past $15:

• Washington, D.C. — about $17.95, the highest in the nation
• Washington — about $17.13
• Connecticut — about $16.94
• California — about $16.90
• Hawaii — $16.00, heading to $18 in 2028

How states rank on regulatory burden

Minimum-wage policy is one input into a state's overall labor and regulatory climate, alongside licensing and other workplace rules:

1. 1IDIdaho
   10.0A+
2. 2SDSouth Dakota
   9.8A+
3. 3NDNorth Dakota
   9.6A+
4. 4MTMontana
   9.4A+
5. 5AKAlaska
   9.2A+
6. 6AZArizona
   9.0A+
7. 7NVNevada
   8.8A
8. 8WYWyoming
   8.6A
9. 9KSKansas
   8.4A-
10. 10NENebraska
    8.2A-

See all 50 states ranked on Regulatory Burden

See all 50 states ranked on regulatory burden

Occupational licensing, labor rules, and red tape — the full ranking with a color-coded map.

The minimum wage debate

The minimum wage is one of economics' oldest arguments:

• Supporters say raising it lifts low-wage workers' incomes and reduces poverty without large job losses, pointing to recent research on moderate increases.
• Critics say large or rapid increases can reduce hiring, cut hours, or accelerate automation, especially in low-cost regions.

In a freedom-focused index, a higher mandated wage is a heavier labor regulation — a constraint on what employers and workers can agree to. Whether the trade-off is worth it depends on your priorities, which is exactly what the rankings let you weigh.