You asked what the minimum wage laws are in the 50 states. This report updates OLR Report 2000-R-0393.

Each state’s minimum wage is listed below. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum of $ 5. 15 an hour (Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, D. C. , Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington). Three states (Illinois, Maine, and Vermont) have increases in the minimum wage that will take effect in the future and two states (Oregon and Washington) index their minimum wage to inflation and adjust it annually.

Seven states (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee) have no minimum wage law and five states (Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, and Oklahoma) have a minimum wage for some or all workers that is below the federal minimum. In these twelve states, the federal minimum wage of $ 5. 15 applies to most workers.

Table 1 indicates the minimum wage law in effect for each state. States with an asterisk either have no minimum wage law or a law providing a lower wage than the federal law for some or all workers. In the latter case, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires the federal minimum wage to apply to most workers (29 U. S. C. A § 218).

Table 1: Minimum Wage Laws

*Minimum wage set by federal law because either the state has no minimum wage or it sets one lower than the federal standard.

Source: U. S. Department of Labor, state labor department websites, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

CR: ro