Minimum wage in the U.S. statistics & facts

Minimum wage in the U.S. in 2026

The federal minimum wage in the United States is 7.25 dollars an hour in 2026, unchanged since 2009. Washington, D.C. has the highest rate at 17.95 dollars, and 20 states still match the federal floor of 7.25 dollars.

The gap between the frozen federal minimum and the rates set by high-wage states is one of the defining features of the US labour market in 2026. In 2026 the federal minimum wage stands at 7.25 dollars an hour, while state rates range from 7.25 in 20 states up to 17.95 dollars in the District of Columbia.

This account of the minimum wage in the United States in 2026 sets out the frozen federal floor, the wide range of state rates, and the long erosion of the minimums real value.

The minimum wage in the United States in 2026 is defined by a federal floor of 7.25 dollars, frozen since 2009, and a patchwork of higher state rates reaching almost 18 dollars.

This account of the minimum wage in the United States in 2026 sets out the frozen federal floor, the wide spread of state rates, and the long erosion of the minimums real value.

The federal minimum has now been frozen for 17 years, the longest stretch without a rise since it began in 1938, a gap our cost of living and inflation coverage tracks as prices climb.

Federal floor vs states: the federal minimum wage is 7.25 dollars an hour in 2026, while Washington, D.C. leads at 17.95 dollars, a gap of more than 10 dollars.

Because the federal rate is not indexed to inflation, its real value has fallen sharply, even as many states have raised their own minimums, a divide our global inflation coverage follows across the economy.

A note on the data. The figures show the minimum wage in the United States in 2026, federal and by state, in US dollars per hour, based on the US Department of Labor and state labor agencies. Local city rates and tipped rates can differ from the figures shown.

The US Department of Labor is the authoritative source for the federal minimum wage, while state labour agencies set and publish their own rates. The minimum wage sets the legal floor on hourly pay, and in the United States that floor is set at both the federal and the state level, whichever is higher.

US Minimum Wage by Jurisdiction

The table shows the minimum wage in leading US states and the District of Columbia in 2026, alongside the federal rate. It shows a gap of more than 10 dollars an hour between the highest and lowest jurisdictions.

What Is the Federal Minimum Wage in 2026?

The federal minimum wage is 7.25 dollars an hour and has not changed since July 2009. This is the longest period without any increase since the federal minimum wage was first established in 1938. The 17-year freeze of the federal minimum wage is the longest in its history, and has left the federal floor far behind the cost of living.

Set at 7.25 dollars in 2009, the federal minimum has now gone longer without a rise than at any time since the Fair Labor Standards Act created it in 1938. The decision to leave the federal minimum at 7.25 dollars for 17 years, taken by inaction rather than design, has quietly reshaped low-paid work across America.

The 17-year freeze of the federal minimum wage, the longest in its history, has quietly reshaped low-paid work across the United States. First set at 25 cents an hour in 1938, the federal minimum has been raised more than twenty times, but not once since July 2009, an unprecedented gap.

Only an act of Congress can change the federal rate, which is why it has stayed frozen while prices have risen, a freeze our interest rates coverage tracks across the wider US economy.

Frozen since 2009: the federal minimum wage has held at 7.25 dollars since 2009, the longest stretch without a rise since it began in 1938.

A full-time job at the federal minimum, 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, earns about 15,080 dollars a year before taxes, a figure that has lost much of its buying power since 2009 as the cost of living has climbed.

The loss of buying power in a full-time minimum-wage income since 2009 is one of the clearest signs of how a fixed wage floor fares against inflation.

Which States Have the Highest Minimum Wage?

Most states set their own minimum above the federal floor. Washington, D.C. leads at 17.95 dollars an hour, followed by Washington State at 17.13 dollars, Connecticut at 16.94, California at 16.90 and New York at 16.50.

The wide range of state minimum wages, from 7.25 dollars to nearly 18, shows how much a workers pay floor now depends on where they live. The highest 2026 rates are Washington, D.C. at 17.95 dollars, Washington State at 17.13, Connecticut at 16.94, California at 16.90, New York at 16.50 and Hawaii at 16.00.

With 30 states and the District of Columbia now above the federal floor, most US workers are covered by a state minimum higher than 7.25 dollars. The rise of higher state minimums, from California to New York, means the experience of a minimum-wage worker now varies enormously across the country.

The wide range of state minimum wages, from the federal 7.25 dollars to nearly 18 dollars, means a workers pay floor now depends heavily on where they live.

In all, 30 states and the District of Columbia set rates above 7.25 dollars, while 20 states match the federal floor, a divide that runs right across the country from state to state.

Where pay floors are highest: Washington, D.C., Washington State, Connecticut, California and New York set the highest minimum wages in 2026.

This creates a gap of more than 10 dollars an hour for the same work depending on the state, from 17.95 dollars in the District of Columbia down to the 7.25 dollar federal floor in states such as Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

The California minimum wage is among the highest, and in California some sectors go higher still, with a 20 dollar minimum for fast-food workers and higher rates for health-care staff. The 10-dollar gap between the highest and lowest minimum wages for identical work is among the widest such gaps in the developed world.

How Much Has the Real Value Fallen?

The real value of the federal minimum has fallen for decades. In 1968 it peaked at the equivalent of about 14 dollars an hour in todays money, nearly double its current real value of just 7.25 dollars an hour.

The long fall in the real value of the federal minimum wage is one of the clearest examples of how inflation erodes a fixed dollar figure over time. Adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum wage peaked in 1968 at roughly 14 dollars an hour in todays money, nearly double the 7.25 dollars it is worth in 2026.

A dollar figure that never changes buys less each year as prices rise, which is why the frozen 7.25 dollar federal minimum is worth far less now than in 2009. The steady erosion of the federal minimums real value since its 1968 peak is one of the most important and least visible trends in US pay.

Understanding the difference between the dollar figure and the real, inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage is essential to seeing how far it has fallen. The steady fall in the real value of the federal minimum since 1968 is one of the clearest examples of how inflation erodes a fixed dollar figure over time.

In 1968, a worker earning the minimum wage could buy nearly twice as much as one earning the minimum today, despite the far higher dollar figure now on the paycheck.

Because the federal rate is fixed in dollars and not adjusted for inflation, every year of rising prices erodes what it can buy, a steady decline that has continued across the decades since the late 1960s.

Falling since 1968: the real value of the federal minimum peaked at about 14 dollars an hour in todays money in 1968, nearly double its current 7.25 dollars.

Measured against the cost of living, a minimum-wage worker today can buy far less than one could in the late 1960s, even though the dollar figure of 7.25 looks far higher than the 1.60 dollars an hour paid back in 1968.

The contrast between the higher dollar figure and the lower real value of todays minimum wage is a textbook example of money illusion.

How Big Is the Gap Between States?

The gap between the highest and lowest minimum wages has never been wider. The District of Columbia pays 17.95 dollars an hour, while 20 states pay just 7.25, a difference of more than 10 dollars an hour for exactly the same work.

The widening gap between the highest and lowest minimum wages is reshaping the map of low-paid work across the United States. The gulf between a worker earning 17.95 dollars in the District of Columbia and one earning 7.25 in Texas, for the same work, has never been wider.

The widening gap between the highest and lowest minimum wages is steadily reshaping the map of low-paid work across America. A worker in the District of Columbia earning 17.95 dollars takes home well over twice as much per hour as one earning 7.25 dollars in a federal-floor state, for identical work.

This widening gap reflects the fact that high-wage states index their minimums to inflation while the federal floor stays frozen, a split our regional data coverage tracks across the country.

Most states set more: 30 states and the District of Columbia set rates above the federal floor, while 20 states match 7.25 dollars.

As indexed states raise their rates each year and the federal floor holds at 7.25 dollars, the gap between the highest and lowest jurisdictions widens further, deepening the divide in what the same job pays across America.

The steady widening of the minimum-wage gap between states is one of the quiet but profound shifts in the US economy of recent years.

What Does a Minimum Wage Job Pay a Year?

Annual earnings vary widely with the rate. A full-time worker earns about 15,080 dollars a year at the federal 7.25 dollar minimum, but about 37,300 dollars a year in the District of Columbia at its 17.95 dollar hourly rate.

The difference in annual earnings between the highest and lowest minimum wages shows how much geography shapes a workers income in America. A full-time worker earns about 15,080 dollars a year at 7.25 dollars an hour, but about 37,300 dollars at the District of Columbias 17.95 dollar rate.

The wide difference in annual earnings between the highest and lowest minimum wages shows how much geography now shapes a workers income in the United States. At the federal rate, a full-time worker earns roughly 1,250 dollars a month before taxes, an income that falls below the poverty line for a family in much of the country.

The difference of more than 22,000 dollars a year for the same full-time hours shows how much location shapes a minimum-wage workers income, a gap our GDP per capita and GDP per capita worldwide coverage frames against living standards.

Same hours, different pay: a full-time job earns about 15,080 dollars a year at the federal rate but about 37,300 in the District of Columbia.

Even the highest US minimum wage leaves a full-time worker below the income of the typical household, a reminder that the minimum wage sets a floor rather than a comfortable living in most parts of the country.. The fact that even the highest US minimum wage falls short of a comfortable living underlines that the minimum is a floor, not a target.

What Are the Tipped and Youth Minimum Wages?

Several lower federal rates apply to specific workers. Tipped workers can be paid a cash wage of 2.13 dollars an hour, and workers under 20 can be paid 4.25 dollars for their first 90 days, while federal contractors must be paid at least 17.75 dollars an hour.

The patchwork of lower federal rates for tipped, young and other workers adds another layer of complexity to the US minimum wage. Federal law sets a tipped cash wage of 2.13 dollars, a youth wage of 4.25 dollars for the first 90 days, and a federal contractor minimum of 17.75 dollars.

The patchwork of lower federal rates for tipped, young and contractor workers adds another layer of complexity to the US minimum wage.

The tipped wage of 2.13 dollars assumes tips make up the difference to the full minimum, a rule our world economy coverage notes as one of the most debated and criticised features of US wage law.

Not one minimum but several: federal law sets a tipped wage of 2.13 dollars, a youth wage of 4.25, a standard 7.25 and a contractor minimum of 17.75.

The federal contractor minimum of 17.75 dollars, far above the standard 7.25, shows how much higher the floor can be set when policy chooses, and highlights the gap left by the frozen general minimum. The wide gap between the federal contractor minimum and the general federal floor shows how much higher the minimum could be set by policy.

Which States Index the Minimum to Inflation?

A growing number of states now index their minimum wage to inflation. About 19 states and the District of Columbia adjust their rates each year for rising prices, so their minimums climb automatically without any new legislation. The spread of inflation indexing among the states is steadily widening the gap between them and the frozen federal floor.

The spread of inflation indexing among the states is steadily widening the gap between them and the frozen federal floor. In indexed states, the minimum wage rises a little each year in step with prices, so its buying power holds steady rather than eroding as the federal floor does.

Indexing protects the real value of the minimum wage, unlike the frozen federal rate, a difference our producer prices coverage tracks across the wider US economy.

Automatic annual rises: about 19 states and the District of Columbia index their minimum wage to inflation, so their rates climb each year.

As more states adopt indexing, the contrast with the fixed federal floor grows sharper, with indexed states pulling steadily ahead while the federal minimum loses value year after year. The growing divide between indexed states and the frozen federal floor is set to widen further with every year of rising prices.

How Many Workers Earn the Minimum Wage?

The number of workers earning at or below the federal minimum has fallen sharply. About 1 million workers earned at or below 7.25 dollars in recent years, down from over 4 million in 2010 and more than 13 million in the early 1980s.

The sharp fall in the number of workers earning the federal minimum reflects the rise of higher state and city rates across the country. About 1 million workers earned at or below the federal minimum in recent years, down from more than 4 million in 2010 and over 13 million in 1980.

The sharp fall in the number of workers earning the federal minimum reflects the steady rise of higher state and city rates across the country. As recently as 1980, more than thirteen million American workers earned at or below the federal minimum; by 2026 that number had fallen to around one million.

The fall reflects state minimum-wage rises and a tighter labour market pushing pay above the federal floor, a shift our largest economies coverage frames against the wider US economy and its labour market.

A steady decline: the number of workers earning at or below the federal minimum has fallen from over 4 million in 2010 to about 1 million.

Most low-paid workers now earn above the federal minimum because their state or city sets a higher rate, so the federal 7.25 dollar floor directly binds fewer workers than at any time in decades. The shrinking share of workers bound by the federal minimum shows how far state and local action has outpaced federal policy.

How Does the US Minimum Wage Compare Worldwide?

The US minimum wage looks low next to some peers and high next to others. Canadas federal minimum is about 12.60 dollars an hour, the United Kingdoms around 15 dollars and Australias close to 16, while the US federal floor sits at just 7.25.

Compared with other advanced economies, the frozen US federal minimum is unusually low, though the highest US states rival them, a contrast our emerging economies and richest countries coverage frames across borders.

How the US compares: the US federal minimum of 7.25 dollars is low next to the UK, Canada and Australia, though the highest US states rival them, and far above India.

Against emerging economies the picture reverses: minimum wages in India and much of the developing world are a fraction of the US rate, often under a dollar an hour, a gap our China coverage tracks across the global wage ladder.

Will the Federal Minimum Wage Rise?

The federal minimum is likely to stay at 7.25 dollars unless Congress acts, while more states raise and index their own rates, steadily widening the gap between the high-wage and low-wage parts of the country. The future of the federal minimum wage, frozen since 2009, remains one of the most debated questions in US economic policy.

The future of the federal minimum wage, frozen since 2009, remains one of the most debated questions in United States economic policy.

Proposals to raise the federal minimum, often to 15 dollars or more, have been debated for years, a debate our global economy and US policy coverage tracks amid arguments over jobs and pay.

High vs low-wage states: high-wage states differ sharply from federal-floor states in rate, indexing and real value, on an indexed scale.

Whether or not the federal rate rises, the trend of states setting and indexing higher minimums looks set to continue, leaving the map of US minimum wages more varied than ever across the fifty states.

US Minimum Wage in Numbers

A few figures capture the picture. The federal minimum wage is 7.25 dollars an hour in 2026, unchanged since 2009, while the District of Columbia leads at 17.95 dollars and 20 states match the federal floor. These figures together capture a country where the federal wage floor has held for 17 years while the states have moved far apart.

These figures matter because the minimum wage sets the income floor for millions of American workers and shapes the cost base of employers nationwide. These figures together capture a country where the federal wage floor has held for 17 years while the states have moved far apart.

These figures matter because the minimum wage shapes the incomes of millions of workers and the cost base of employers, a picture our data tracks in detail across the US economy.

Highest states vs federal: the District of Columbia and high-wage states set rates near 18 dollars, more than double the 7.25 dollar federal floor.

Together they describe a country where the federal floor has held for 17 years while states have moved apart, creating one of the widest minimum-wage gaps in US history. For now, the federal floor holds at 7.25 dollars while the states pull apart, leaving the US minimum wage more varied than at any time in its history.

US Minimum Wage 2026: The Big Picture

Taken together, the minimum wage in the United States in 2026 is a story of a frozen federal floor of 7.25 dollars and a widening gap between states, from 17.95 dollars in the District of Columbia to the federal minimum across much of the country.

Bubble size shows population: high-wage states such as California and New York pair high minimum wages with a high cost of living, while federal-floor states sit lower on both. Position shows cost of living against minimum wage.

Whether the federal rate rises will depend on Congress, but the long trend of states setting and indexing higher minimums looks set to continue, a story our US economy coverage tracks across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions: US Minimum Wage