The state with the highest minimum wage isn't California or New York—and it pays more than $15/hour (2024)

About half of U.S. states hiked their minimum wages in January, with a few more gearing up to do so later this year.

Eight state minimums now hover in the $13 per hour range, like those in Illinois and Arizona. Eighteen remain the same as the federal minimum, $7.25 per hour, like those in Idaho and Oklahoma. Regardless, none match the living needs of all of their residents, at least according to MIT's Living Wage Calculator.

Among the most prevailing fights for a higher wage is an ongoing campaign to raise the federal minimum to $15 per hour. And some states have heeded, or even surpassed, that goal.

These are the five states with the highest minimum wages in the country, including the average living wage of a single person with no dependents for each according to MIT.

Washington: $15.74

Living wage: $19.58

California: $15.50

Massachusetts: $15

Living wage: $21.35

New York: $14.20

Living wage: $21.46

New Jersey: $14.13

Living wage: $18.71

Washington, California, Massachusetts and New Jersey raised their minimums in January, while New York raised its in December 2022. Both New York and New Jersey plan to continue raising their minimums to reach $15 over the next few years, and Washington has implemented a regular annual increase.

One key thing to keep in mind about the above living wages is they're weighted averages, meaning they're not representative of a living wage for a single person with no dependents in every county in these states. In the state of Washington, for example, the minimum wage covers the living wage in 15 out of 39 counties.

The map below outlines Washington state's minimum wage versus the living wage of a single person with no dependents in each county. It also includes the percentage of nonfamily households falling within or below that living wage in each county, as well as the percentage of nonfamily households in that county altogether. A nonfamily household includes both single people with no dependents and unmarried individuals who live together (like roommates).

Some cities within these states have also enacted their own minimums. Seattle's minimum wage is $18.69 per hour as of 2023 and New York City's minimum wage is $15 per hour as of December 2022.

But even in "places that have successfully, to their credit, raised minimum wages substantially over the federal level," says Ben Zipperer, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, "they're still in many cases not a living wage."

"I think the crux of it is that low pay in this country is a very widespread problem."

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The state with the highest minimum wage isn't California or New York—and it pays more than $15/hour (2024)

FAQs

The state with the highest minimum wage isn't California or New York—and it pays more than $15/hour? ›

Washington: $16.28. California: $16. New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties: $16. Connecticut: $15.69.

What state in the United States has the highest minimum wage? ›

As of January 1, 2024, the District of Columbia had the highest minimum wage in the U.S., at 17 U.S. dollars per hour. This was followed by Washington, which had 16.28 U.S. dollars per hour as the state minimum wage.

What states have a $15 an hour minimum wage? ›

Which States Have a $15 per Hour Minimum Wage? California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington are the states with a minimum wage of $15 per hour or above. While not a state, Washington, D.C. also falls into this category with its minimum wage of $17 per hour.

What is Texas minimum wage? ›

Employers in Texas must comply with the state's minimum wage law, which is currently $7.25 per hour (rising to $9.50 per hour in 2024). This means that employers must pay their non-exempt employees at least $7.25 per hour.

What city pays the highest minimum wage? ›

10 cities with the highest minimum wage in the U.S.
  • Tukwila, Washington: $20.29.
  • Seattle: $19.97.
  • SeaTac, Washington: $19.71.
  • West Hollywood, California: $19.08.
  • Mountain View, California: $18.75.
  • Emeryville, California: $18.67.
  • Sunnyvale, California: $18.55.
  • Denver: $18.29.
Jan 27, 2024

What is minimum wage in NY? ›

Minimum Wage
LocationMinimum Wage as of 12/31/2022**Tipped Food Service Workers as of 01/01/2024*
New York City$15.00$10.65 Cash Wage $5.35 Tip Credit
Long Island & Westchester$15.00$10.65 Cash Wage $5.35 Tip Credit
Remainder of New York State$14.20$10.00 Cash Wage $5.00 Top Credit

Which states have the highest wages for? ›

List of U.S. states and territories by annual mean wage
National rankState or territoryMean wage in US$
1District of Columbia$87,920
2Massachusetts$63,910
3New York$61,870
4Connecticut$60,780
52 more rows

What 3 states have the lowest minimum wage? ›

These states and territories have the lowest minimum wage rates in the U.S.:
  • Georgia: $5.15.
  • Wyoming: $5.15.
  • West Virginia: $8.75.
  • Minnesota: $8.85 (for small employers, or those with an annual gross revenue of less than $500,000)
  • Puerto Rico: $9.50.

What is the lowest salary in USA? ›

The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour.

What state has $20 minimum wage? ›

Some half a million workers in California are getting a big bump up in pay. The state's minimum wage for fast-food employees jumps to $20 an hour on Monday, giving many a raise of 25% from just last week.

What does McDonald's pay in Texas? ›

As of Apr 8, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Mcdonalds Crew in Texas is $11.42 an hour.

What is a livable salary in Texas? ›

What's considered a “good” salary in Texas depends on your household size and lifestyle, but most Texans make between $45,000 and $100,000 annually. Texas cities have differing costs of living, of course — Austin is much pricier than Amarillo — so where you live in the Lone Star State also matters.

What is minimum wage in Arizona? ›

The Arizona minimum wage increased from $13.85 per hour to $14.35 per hour. The latest increase took effect on January 1, 2024, and will remain in effect until December 31, 2024.

What is minimum wage in Miami? ›

The minimum wage in Miami has increased steadily in recent years. In 2019, the minimum wage was $8.56 per hour. It increased to $10.00 per hour in 2021, and then to $11.00 per hour in 2022. The increase in the minimum wage in Miami has been driven by a number of factors, including the rising cost of living in the city.

What is Hawaii minimum wage? ›

Hawaii's new minimum wage — $14 an hour — is estimated to affect 21.8% of the state's workforce and result in a $1,380 boost in annual wages for the average full-time, year-round affected worker, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.

Which city pays the most in us? ›

Topping the list was Provo, Utah, with an average company rating of 3.94 and an annual salary of $61,973. Other cities in the top 10 include San Jose, California, with an average rating of 3.88 and an annual salary of $117,188, and Santa Barbara, California, with a rating of 3.87 and an annual salary of $72,240.

What state in the US has the lowest minimum wage? ›

Currently, 34 states, territories and districts have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Five states have not adopted a state minimum wage: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Two states, Georgia and Wyoming, have a minimum wage below $7.25 per hour.

What state has the lowest cost of living and highest pay? ›

South Dakota is among the states with the highest minimum wage and low cost of living, with housing and utilities costing an estimated 15% less than the national average in the US. The minimum wage in the state is set to increase 40 cents from January 1, 2024.

How much is the lowest salary in USA? ›

The federal minimum wages in USA is $7.25 (~₹599) per hour. However, the basic salary in the United States varies from state to state. Washington has the highest minimum wage in USA, which is $15.74 (~₹1,301), followed by California with $15.50 (~₹1,281) per hour.

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