Minimum Wage by State 2026 — Complete US Guide
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25/hour since 2009. But most US workers are covered by higher state or local minimums. This guide covers every state's 2026 minimum wage, the annual income it produces, and the states with the highest and lowest rates — with scheduled increases through 2027.
The Federal Minimum Wage in 2026
The federal minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour as of 2026 — unchanged since July 24, 2009. This equals $15,080 per year at 40 hours/week. After federal tax and FICA, a single worker earning the federal minimum takes home approximately $13,900/year, or about $1,158/month.
However, federal minimum wage is a floor, not a ceiling. When a state sets a higher minimum, employers in that state must pay the higher rate. Today, 30 states plus Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands have minimum wages above the federal floor.
Highest Minimum Wages in 2026
| Washington | $16.28/hr ($33,862/yr) |
| California (general) | $16.50/hr ($34,320/yr) |
| California (fast food) | $20.00/hr ($41,600/yr) |
| Connecticut | $16.35/hr ($34,008/yr) |
| New Jersey | $15.49/hr ($32,219/yr) |
| Massachusetts | $15.00/hr ($31,200/yr) |
| New York (NYC metro) | $16.50/hr ($34,320/yr) |
| Illinois | $15.00/hr ($31,200/yr) |
| Delaware | $15.00/hr ($31,200/yr) |
| Rhode Island | $15.00/hr ($31,200/yr) |
States Still at Federal Minimum ($7.25)
As of 2026, the following states have not enacted a minimum wage above the federal floor of $7.25/hour. Workers in these states are covered by federal law if their employer is subject to the FLSA:
- Alabama — no state minimum wage law (federal rate applies)
- Georgia — $5.15/hr state minimum (federal rate of $7.25 applies to covered employers)
- Louisiana — no state minimum wage law
- Mississippi — no state minimum wage law
- South Carolina — no state minimum wage law
- Tennessee — no state minimum wage law
- Texas — $7.25/hr (matches federal)
- Wyoming — $5.15/hr state rate (federal rate applies)
Minimum Wage vs. Living Wage
The minimum wage and the living wage are very different concepts. A living wage is the hourly rate a worker needs to cover basic expenses — food, housing, transport, healthcare — without public assistance. MIT's Living Wage Calculator estimates living wages for every US county, and the results are sobering:
- The living wage for a single adult with no children in the US ranges from $22/hour (rural South) to $36/hour (San Francisco Bay Area).
- Even in the most affordable states, the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour covers only 30–45% of a single adult's living wage needs.
- Washington state's $16.28/hour minimum is the closest to a genuine living wage — still falling short in Seattle but adequate in many rural areas of the state.
This gap explains why many minimum-wage earners rely on government assistance programs: SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, housing vouchers, and the EITC. A 2020 University of California study estimated that the cost of government assistance to support minimum-wage workers exceeded $100 billion annually — effectively a public subsidy of low-wage employers.
Scheduled Minimum Wage Increases
Several states have legislated scheduled increases through 2026 and beyond:
- California: $16.50/hr general (2026), with further increases indexed to CPI. Fast food sector: $20/hr (2024), indexed to CPI thereafter.
- New York: $16.50/hr in NYC metro and Long Island (2026), $15.50/hr upstate; scheduled to reach parity statewide.
- Florida: On track to reach $15/hr by September 2026 (Amendment 2 implementation timeline).
- Nebraska: $13.50/hr (2025), $15.00/hr (2026) following a 2022 ballot initiative.
- Nevada: $12.00/hr (2024 and beyond), with future increases linked to CPI.
- Washington DC: $17.50/hr (2026), indexed to CPI each year thereafter.
What Minimum Wage Workers Actually Take Home
Let's look at real after-tax take-home for minimum wage workers in a selection of states:
| Federal minimum ($7.25) — Texas, Florida (2025) | $13,904/yr · $1,159/mo |
| $12.00/hr — Nevada, Nebraska (early 2026) | $20,222/yr · $1,685/mo |
| $15.00/hr — Massachusetts, Illinois, Delaware | $27,108/yr · $2,259/mo |
| $16.00/hr — Colorado, Connecticut area | $28,769/yr · $2,397/mo |
| $16.28/hr — Washington state | $29,222/yr · $2,435/mo |
| $16.50/hr — California, NYC metro | $29,604/yr · $2,467/mo |
| $20.00/hr — California fast food | $35,308/yr · $2,942/mo |
The Case For and Against a Federal $15 Minimum Wage
The debate over raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour is ongoing. Here are the main arguments on both sides:
Arguments for:
- The federal minimum wage has lost 40% of its purchasing power since 1968 when adjusted for inflation. A $15 floor restores some of this lost value.
- States that have raised their minimums have not experienced the dramatic job losses critics predicted. Academic research by economists Arindrajit Dube and others suggests moderate minimum wage increases have minimal negative employment effects.
- A $15 federal minimum would directly raise wages for approximately 17 million workers and indirectly benefit millions more through wage compression effects.
Arguments against:
- A single national minimum fails to account for massive regional cost-of-living differences. $15/hour is a living wage in rural Mississippi but falls well short in San Francisco.
- Small businesses, particularly in low-cost rural areas, may reduce hours or employment when faced with a sudden large labor cost increase.
- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that a $15 federal minimum would increase wages for 17 million workers but reduce employment by approximately 1.4 million.
How to Find Your Exact After-Tax Minimum Wage
State income tax significantly affects your take-home pay. A $15/hour worker in California pays roughly $1,500/year more in state income tax than the same worker in Texas — a meaningful difference at this income level. Use our State Salary Calculator to see your precise after-tax income in any state.