Minimum wage increases go into effect in these 21 states
Washington, California and New York now offer workers the highest minimum wage in the country.
Minimum wage hikes went into effect on Jan. 1 in 21 states and approximately 50 local jurisdictions amid ballot measures, legislation and inflation adjustments. Washington’s minimum wage now stands at $16.66 per hour, followed by California and New York, both of which have raised the minimum to $16.50.
Twenty-nine cities in California saw pay hikes, including a $17-an-hour wage floor in Oakland. Seven towns in Washington increased their minimum wage, with the town of Tukwila now offering the country's highest minimum, at $21.10.
The increases are expected to affect more than 9.2 million workers, raising their pay by a combined $5.7 billion, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Although teenage workers are disproportionately likely to be minimum wage workers, the vast majority (88.0%) of affected workers are adults, the EPI noted.
Seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming — have either no minimum-wage law or a minimum wage below the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour. The federal minimum wage — which has not increased since 2009 —applies in all seven states.
Below are the 2025 state minimum wage increases.
•Alaska: $11.91
•Arizona: $14.70
•California: $16.50
•Colorado: $14.81
•Connecticut: $16.35
•Delaware: $15.00
•Illinois: $15.00
•Maine: $14.65
•Michigan: $10.56 (On Feb. 21, 2025, Michigan’s minimum wage will increase again, to $12.48)
•Minnesota: $11.13
•Missouri: $13.75
•Montana: $10.55
•Nebraska: $13.50
•New Jersey; $15.49 (employers with six or more employees); $14.53 (seasonal employers and employers with fewer than six employees)
•New York: $16.50 per hour (New York City, Long Island and Westchester County); $15.50 per hour (rest of the state)
•Ohio: $10.70 (employers with annual gross receipts of more than $394,000 per year)
•Rhode Island: $15.00
•South Dakota: $11.50
•Vermont: $14.01
•Virginia: $12.41
•Washington: $16.66
In addition, Oregon and the District of Columbia will have cost of living increases in July, and a second 2025 increase will take effect in Alaska on July 1. Also, Florida’s minimum wage will increase to $14 on Sept. 30, and then to $15 in 2026.
ADP has posted a listing of the 2025 minimum wage increases across local jurisdictions along with other wage considerations on its website. Click here to read ADP’s guide to 2025 minimum wages.
