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Minimum wage by state 2027.
The 2027 minimum wage in every state and DC next to the 2026 rate, with the states that raise pay on January 1 and a lookup by hours.
Short answer: Sixteen states raise their minimum wage on January 1, 2027: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. The highest rate on January 1 is $18.40 in the District of Columbia, followed by Washington at $17.73 and Connecticut at $17.48. 20 states stay on the $7.25 federal rate, and DC, Oregon and Alaska adjust on July 1.
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Result
Choose a state to see its January 1, 2027 rate and pay.
State minimum wages on January 1, 2027
The table lists every state and the District of Columbia. The 2026 column is the basic state rate on the U.S. Department of Labor state table, updated November 5, 2026. The 2027 column is the rate in force on January 1, 2027: where a state has announced or scheduled an increase it shows the new figure, and where nothing is published it repeats the 2026 rate. Where a state has its own page, the name links to it for the tipped wage, the sources and a pay converter. States on the federal $7.25 are those with no state law or a state rate at or below it.
| State | 2026 | January 1, 2027 | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $7.25 | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies |
| Alaska | $14.00 | $14.00 | Rises to $15.00 on July 1, 2027 |
| Arizona | $15.15 | $15.65 | Rises January 1, 2027 with inflation |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | $11.00 | No change |
| California | $16.90 | $17.40 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Colorado | $15.16 | $15.71 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $15.00 | No change published |
| District of Columbia | $18.40 | $18.40 (to June 30) | Adjusts on July 1, 2027 (new rate not yet published) |
| Florida | $15.00 | $15.00 | No change; annual indexing starts January 1, 2028 |
| Georgia | $5.15 | $5.15 | State law excluded where the federal rate is higher; $7.25 applies |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | $16.00 | No change in 2027; $18.00 scheduled for 2028 |
| Idaho | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Illinois | $15.00 | $15.00 | No change published |
| Indiana | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Iowa | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Kansas | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Louisiana | $7.25 | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies |
| Maine | $15.10 | $15.70 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Maryland | $15.00 | $15.00 | No change |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | $15.00 | No change |
| Michigan | $13.73 | $15.00 | Rises January 1, 2027 under state law |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | $11.87 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Mississippi | $7.25 | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies |
| Missouri | $15.00 | $15.00 | No change |
| Montana | $10.85 | $11.20 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | $15.26 | Rises January 1, 2027 with inflation |
| Nevada | $12.00 | $12.00 | No change |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $16.48 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | $12.00 | No change published |
| New York | $16.00 | $16.00 | No change: $17.00 in NYC, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, $16.00 elsewhere |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $11.40 | Rises January 1, 2027 for employers with $405,000 or more in receipts |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Oregon | $15.55 | $15.55 | Adjusts July 1, 2027 (standard rate shown) |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| South Carolina | $7.25 | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $12.30 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Tennessee | $7.25 | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies |
| Texas | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Utah | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Vermont | $14.42 | $14.91 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $13.75 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.73 | Rises January 1, 2027 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | $8.75 | No change published |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | $7.25 | Federal rate applies; no change published |
| Wyoming | $5.15 | $5.15 | State law excluded where the federal rate is higher; $7.25 applies |
The 16 states that raise the rate on January 1, 2027
These are the states where the January 1, 2027 rate is higher than the 2026 rate. Michigan's step to $15.00 is the largest in dollars at $1.27, followed by Rhode Island at $1.00 and Virginia at $0.98. Most of the others move with inflation formulas set in state law or by a state agency announcement.
| State | 2026 | 2027 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $15.15 | $15.65 | +$0.50 |
| California | $16.90 | $17.40 | +$0.50 |
| Colorado | $15.16 | $15.71 | +$0.55 |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 | +$0.54 |
| Maine | $15.10 | $15.70 | +$0.60 |
| Michigan | $13.73 | $15.00 | +$1.27 |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | $11.87 | +$0.46 |
| Montana | $10.85 | $11.20 | +$0.35 |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | $15.26 | +$0.26 |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $16.48 | +$0.56 |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $11.40 | +$0.40 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 | +$1.00 |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $12.30 | +$0.45 |
| Vermont | $14.42 | $14.91 | +$0.49 |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $13.75 | +$0.98 |
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.73 | +$0.60 |
What changed from 2026
Vermont's Department of Labor announced on November 9, 2026 that its rate rises from $14.42 to $14.91 on January 1, 2027, so the U.S. Department of Labor table, updated four days earlier, still shows $14.42 for Vermont. New York has no change in 2027, with $17.00 in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester and $16.00 elsewhere. The District of Columbia adjusts on July 1 each year, so its rate on January 1, 2027 is the same $18.40 it has paid since July 1, 2026. Oregon also adjusts on July 1 and Alaska steps from $14.00 to $15.00 on July 1, 2027.
Highest and lowest rates in 2027
On January 1, 2027 the highest rates are District of Columbia at $18.40, Washington at $17.73, Connecticut at $17.48, California at $17.40, Rhode Island at $17.00. The lowest rate any employer covered by the federal law owes is $7.25, which applies in 20 states. Georgia and Wyoming keep a $5.15 state figure on the books, but the Department of Labor table says employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the $7.25 federal rate. The gap between the top and bottom is $11.15 an hour, or about $23,192 a year for a full-time worker.
Worked example (2027)
A full-time worker in Washington, 40 hours a week, earns $709.20 a week and $36,878.40 a year at the January 1, 2027 rate of $17.73, which is $1,248.00 more than the $35,630.40 earned at the 2026 rate of $17.13. In Virginia the same worker earns $28,600.00 at $13.75, up from $26,561.60 at $12.77, a rise of $2,038.40. In a $7.25 state the annual figure is $15,080.00, and in the District of Columbia at $18.40 it is $38,272.00.
Common mix-ups
- The rate is the higher of state and federal. Employers covered by the federal law owe at least $7.25, so a lower state figure such as $5.15 in Georgia does not lower pay.
- Local minimums can be higher. Cities and counties in many states set higher rates, and the state table does not show them.
- Tipped cash wages differ from the minimum. Each state sets its own cash wage and tip credit, and tips must bring pay up to the full minimum.
- Mid-year adjustments are not in the January column. DC, Oregon and Alaska change on July 1, 2027; the January figure is the rate before that step.
Method
The table combines the basic state rates on the U.S. Department of Labor state table with the January 1, 2027 rates on the individual state pages and the announcements named in the sources. A state is counted as raising its rate if the 2027 figure is higher than the 2026 figure. The lookup takes the higher of the state figure and the $7.25 federal rate and multiplies it by your hours for 52 weeks. It is gross pay before tax. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere. Figures were read on November 9, 2026.
What this does not cover
- City and county minimum wages, including Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City rates.
- Tipped, youth, training and sub-minimum rates, which have their own state pages.
- Rates that states announce after November 9, 2026.
- Taxes and deductions: pay here is gross pay before tax.
Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor: State Minimum Wage Laws (updated November 5, 2026) (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- Vermont Department of Labor: Minimum Wage Increase Starting January 2027 (November 9, 2026) (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- DC Department of Employment Services: 2026 Minimum Wage Increase public notice (retrieved November 9, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Which states raise the minimum wage on January 1, 2027?
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Which state has the highest minimum wage in 2027?
The District of Columbia at $18.40 an hour on January 1, 2027, followed by Washington at $17.73 and Connecticut at $17.48.
How many states use the federal $7.25 minimum wage?
20 states, those with no state minimum wage law or a state rate at or below the federal rate.
Will the federal minimum wage change in 2027?
The U.S. Department of Labor state table, updated November 5, 2026, lists the federal rate at $7.25 with no change published.
When do DC, Oregon and Alaska change their rates?
On July 1, 2027. DC and Oregon adjust annually on July 1, and Alaska steps from $14.00 to $15.00 that day.
Why does the U.S. Department of Labor table show a different Vermont rate?
It was updated on November 5, 2026, and Vermont announced $14.91 on November 9.
How much is the highest state wage a year?
At the District of Columbia rate of $18.40 and 40 hours a week for 52 weeks it is $38,272.00 before tax.
Not legal advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not legal, payroll or tax advice. Wage laws change and exemptions apply to some workers. Confirm the rate with the state labor agency before you set pay. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.