All employees working in the United States, its territories, or its possessions are subject to the federal minimum wage laws and requirements. At present, $7.25 is the federal minimum wage.
An important aspect of labor and employment law is the location of the work because states and local governments have the authority to create their own wage rules that are distinct from the federal minimum wage. Wage restrictions and laws have been enacted by 45 states plus the District of Columbia.
The federal minimum wage is not always superseded by state or municipal wage legislation. If an employee’s wage is required by both federal and state law, the employee is entitled to receive the greater rate. In Arizona, for instance, an employee would not get the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour but rather the state minimum pay of $14.35 per hour. Nonetheless, the higher federal minimum pay rate of $7.25 would be due to a nonexempt worker in Wyoming, even if the state’s minimum wage is $5.15.
In what states is the minimum wage the highest?
The United States has some of the highest minimum wage rates in the following states and municipalities:
- Washington, DC: $17 percent
- George Washington: $16.28
- Cost in California: $16
The following counties: Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk: $16
New Hampshire: $15.69
Local jurisdictions having a higher minimum wage
Also, minimum wage legislation can be passed by local governments. A higher minimum pay rate for private enterprises may be established by local governments in certain states, in addition to the statewide minimum wage rate.
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The standard minimum wage in Oregon is $14.20 per hour, but the Portland metro area’s minimum pay is $15.45.
Tell me which state’s minimum wage is the lowest.
The federal government’s minimum wage is the lowest in the following states and territories:
- Payroll in Georgia: $5.15
- Wyoming Price: $5.15
- Western Virginia: $8.75
For Minnesota businesses with less than $500,000 in yearly gross revenue, the rate is $8.85.
To Puerto Rico: $9.50
When did the minimum wage in each state rise in 2024?
It is possible to change the minimum wage at the state or municipal level once a year, and the majority of these changes take effect on January 1 of the subsequent year.
Some jurisdictions have minimum wage rules that are automatically adjusted for inflation, however this year, several states and municipalities have increased their minimum pay, beginning January 1, 2024:
The minimum wage in Delaware rose from $11.75 to $13.25.
After a 12-year decline, Hawaii’s minimum wage has risen to $14.
From $13 to $14, it is the rise in Illinois’s minimum wage.
Employers in Maryland with fifteen or more workers are now required to pay a minimum wage of $15 per hour, up from $13.25 per hour. Businesses with fourteen or fewer workers are still required to pay $12.80 per hour.
The state of Michigan’s minimum wage rose from $10.10 to $10.33. If the unemployment rate was 8.5% or above in the previous year, the salary rise will not be implemented.
Raising it from $10.50 per hour, Nebraska’s minimum wage is now $12.
As of July 1, 2024, the minimum wage in Nevada is $12 per hour for all employers, up from $11.25 for those without health insurance and $10.25 for those with.
The minimum wage in New Jersey was raised from $14.13 to $15.13 for the majority of employers, from $12.93 to $13.93 for seasonal workers and businesses with less than five employees, from $12.01 to $12.81 for agricultural firms, and from $17.13 to $18.13 for those working in long-term care facilities.
Raising it from $14.20 per hour, New York’s minimum wage is now $15. The minimum wage in New York City and the surrounding counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester was raised to $16 from $15.
Starting July 1, 2024, the minimum wage in Puerto Rico will be $10.50, an increase from $9.50.
The state of Rhode Island raised its minimum wage from $13 to $14.
Find timely, precise, and targeted information on how to react to changes in state wage legislation. For a quick reference for comparing minimum wage legislation, exemptions, and projected rate increases from state to state, feel free to download our graphic of state minimum wage rates and credits.
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