The States With the Highest and Lowest Minimum Wages
Washington tops the list of states with the highest minimum wage while 15 states tie for last in terms of the lowest -- $7.25, which is the federal minimum wage, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The 10 states with the highest minimum wage are:
- Washington—$13.69
- Massachusetts—$13.50
- Connecticut—$13.00
- California—$13.00
- Oregon—$12.75
- New York—$12.50
- Colorado—$12.32
- Maine—$12.15
- Arizona—$12.15
- New Jersey—$12.00
The top five U.S. cities with the highest minimum wage according to Investopedia are:
- Emeryville, California—$17.30
- Seattle—$16.69
- Sunnyvale, California—$16.30
- Mountain View, California—$16.30
- San Francisco—$16.07
The 15 states with the lowest minimum wage equalling the federal level of $7.25 are:
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- New Hampshire
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Utah
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
On April 27, President Biden signed a document that proposed regulations to increase the minimum wage for federal contractors. The order seeks to raise the hourly minimum wage paid by those contracts to $15 an hour, beginning Jan. 30, 2022, according to the Federal Register.
States where the minimum wage is going up in 2022 click here.
