If you typed "minimum wage in Texas" or "minimum wage by state," you want a number. A number goes stale, so this page also shows what sets it. For each state we read, you get the law that holds the rate, the state page that publishes today's figure, and the date the figure next moves.
Short answer: the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and a state may set a higher one. States do it three ways. Some copy the federal rate (Texas). Some write a number or a schedule into a statute or constitution (Illinois, Florida). Some hand the yearly update to a state agency (Washington, California). Rates below were read on 12 October 2026.
Written and checked on 12 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; check the cited statute or opinion before relying on it.
TL;DR
- Three kinds of rule. A state copies the federal rate, writes its own number or schedule, or sets a formula that moves with inflation. A few have no state law at all.
- Dates differ. California, Washington, Michigan and Colorado change on January 1. Florida moved on September 30, 2026 and moves next on January 1, 2028.
- The higher rate wins. Federal law says it does not excuse paying less than a higher state or city rate (29 U.S.C. § 218(a)).
- Every rate here has a read date. If a rate would be older than our last review, we remove it and keep the law.
- Not covered: city and county rates, tipped and youth rates, and industry wages.
A Texas restaurant owner asks what the Texas minimum wage is and where it is written. What is the right answer?
Official text, as of 12 October 2026
Federal rate. 29 U.S.C. § 206(a)(1)(C) sets "$7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day." We read it on the House Office of the Law Revision Counsel site.
Higher state rates. Section 218(a), on Cornell's Legal Information Institute, says "No provision of this chapter or of any order thereunder shall excuse noncompliance with any Federal or State law or municipal ordinance establishing a minimum wage higher than the minimum wage established under this chapter."
What changed in 2025 and 2026: nothing in the federal figure. Georgia's labor department still says the federal rate rose to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. What changed is in the states. Michigan's rate rose in February 2025 and again in January 2026. Florida reached $15.00 on September 30, 2026. California, Washington and Colorado have already announced their 2027 rates.
What sets the number
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay an employer may legally offer. A statute is a law passed by a legislature. An index is a measure of price changes, such as the Consumer Price Index, that a law can use to raise a wage on its own.
Take Texas. Labor Code section 62.051 says an employer pays "the federal minimum wage" under 29 U.S.C. § 206. The chapter has no dollar figure. Section 62.151 says it does not apply to a person covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (the federal wage law). So the Texas answer is the federal rate, and it moves only when Congress moves it.
Florida is the opposite case. Voters wrote a schedule into the constitution. It rose by a dollar each September 30 until it hit $15.00 in 2026. After that, the state agency applies an inflation measure. Washington uses a statute: its Department of Labor and Industries recalculates the rate every September 30 and the new rate starts the next January 1.
Where each state writes it
Each row was read on the state's own site. The first link goes to the law. The second goes to the agency page that publishes the figure.
Rates that change on a date written in the law
| State | Where it is written | Rate in force, read 12 Oct 2026 | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Lab. Code § 1182.12: the Director of Finance calculates a yearly raise (the lesser of 3.5 percent and the CPI-W change) that starts the next January 1 | $16.90 since Jan. 1, 2026 (DIR) | $17.40 on Jan. 1, 2027 (DIR notice) |
| Washington | RCW 49.46.020(2)(b): calculated each September 30, effective the next January 1 | $17.13 for 2026 (L&I) | $17.73 on Jan. 1, 2027 (L&I) |
| Florida | Const. art. X, § 24(c): schedule to $15.00, then inflation | $15.00 since Sept. 30, 2026 (FloridaCommerce) | Calculated Sept. 30, 2027, in effect the next Jan. 1 (2028) |
| New York | Labor Law § 652(1-a), (1-b) | $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester; $16.00 elsewhere (NY DOL) | None on Jan. 1, 2027: NY DOL says a statutory pause condition was met |
| Michigan | MCL 408.934: fixed steps, then inflation | $13.73 since Jan. 1, 2026 (LEO) | $15.00 on Jan. 1, 2027; inflation steps start after that |
| Colorado | Const. art. XVIII, § 15, as cited in the 2026 PAY CALC Order | $15.16 for 2026 (CDLE) | $15.71 in 2027 (CDLE release) |
| Arizona | A.R.S. § 23-363(B): each January 1, by the August CPI change | $15.15 since Jan. 1, 2026 (ICA) | Jan. 1, 2027. Not verified in our October 2026 review: Bloomberg Tax reported $15.65 on 9 October 2026, citing an ICA poster, but the ICA site would not open for us |
Rates that stay put unless the legislature changes them
| State | Where it is written | Rate, read 12 Oct 2026 | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 820 ILCS 105/4(a)(1): "not less than $15 per hour" from Jan. 1, 2025 | $15.00 (IDOL) | None written |
| Kansas | K.S.A. 44-1203(a)(2): "$7.25 an hour" from Jan. 1, 2010 | $7.25 (KDOL) | None written |
| Georgia | O.C.G.A. § 34-4-3(a): "not less than $5.15 per hour" | $5.15 in the code; the federal $7.25 applies with limited exceptions (GA DOL) | None written |
| Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. § 27-4-202(a): "five dollars and fifteen cents ($5.15) per hour" | $5.15 in the statute | None written |
Rates that copy or follow the federal rate
| State | Where it is written | Rate, read 12 Oct 2026 | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Lab. Code § 62.051 | The federal $7.25 | Only if the federal rate changes |
| Oklahoma | 40 O.S. § 197.2: no wage "less than the current federal minimum wage" | $7.25 (ODOL) | Only if the federal rate or the statute changes |
| Idaho | Idaho Code § 44-1502(1): $7.25, and it "shall conform to, and track with, the federal minimum wage" | $7.25 (IDOL) | Moves with the federal rate |
| Kentucky | KRS 337.275(1): $7.25 from July 1, 2009, raised if the federal rate rises | $7.25 (ELC) | Moves with the federal rate |
States we read that have no state minimum wage law
Tennessee's labor department says "There are no state laws regulating minimum wage" on a help page updated 18 March 2026. Alabama's labor department says Alabama "does not have any state laws governing wage and hour issues" in an undated handout. Covered employers in both states follow the federal rate.
Oklahoma voters had a chance to change the Oklahoma row. State Question 832 would have raised the rate toward $15.00. The State Election Board page we read shows only the ballot title, and the results page would not load for us. The Board's July 2026 audit report says certified results exist for the question but does not give the vote. KGOU reported that it failed on 16 June 2026, and the statute we read on 12 October 2026 still follows the federal rate.
States this page does not cover
Not verified in our October 2026 review: Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. NCSL's table, updated 1 July 2026, lists them with Alabama and Tennessee as states without a state minimum wage. We did not confirm that in each state's code. We also did not read the other states and territories. For any of them, search the legislature's site and the labor department's page, and see the complete guide to US law data for wider sources.
How to find today's rate for your state
- Find the law. Search your legislature's site for "minimum wage." Copy the section number and its history line.
- Find the agency page. The labor or commerce department publishes the yearly figure. Use it over a news article.
- Check the date on the page. If the page predates the last change in the law, it is out of date.
- Check the next change. Our guide to default effective dates shows when new laws start. Rate changes follow their own dates, mostly January 1.
For a state not shown, our guides on citing Texas law, California, Florida, Washington and Illinois show where each state keeps its code. The 50-state survey guide covers the method.
What goes wrong
- Copying a rate from a table with an old date. Florida's rate moved on September 30, 2026. A tool built to update on January 1 misses it.
- Assuming neighbors match. Tennessee has no state law, and Georgia's code says $5.15, which is below the federal rate.
- Ignoring the higher rate. Federal law says a lower state figure does not excuse paying less than the federal one. Our guide to federal and state law explains the layers, and the DOL opinion letters guide shows how the federal agency explains its wage rules.
- Forgetting cities. California's labor department says some cities and counties set higher rates. Colorado's says Denver announced $19.84 for 2027.
- Forgetting special rates. California has a higher fast food rate, and New York has its own home care rate. This page leaves them out.
- Forgetting that a number can pause. Michigan's statute lets an inflation step be held back if the state's unemployment rate for the prior year is 8.5 percent or higher. New York's pause is why its rate stays the same in 2027.
How we keep this current
Minimum wages are the most perishable law on this site. We review this page on four fixed dates a year: 15 December, 5 January, 20 June and 5 October. The December and January reviews cover the January 1 changes. June covers anything dated July 1. October covers Florida and Washington after their September 30 steps. Between those dates, we spot check the sources each month for newer dates. If a review slips, we remove the rate cells and keep the laws.
FAQ
What is the minimum wage in Texas?
It is the federal minimum wage. Texas Labor Code § 62.051 requires employers to pay the federal rate, which is $7.25 under 29 U.S.C. § 206. Texas has no dollar figure of its own, so the number changes only when Congress changes the federal one.
Which states have no state minimum wage?
Tennessee and Alabama, according to their labor departments. NCSL also lists Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina, but we did not verify those three. In each, the federal rate applies to employers the federal law covers.
Which state has the lowest minimum wage?
On paper, Georgia and Wyoming, whose statutes say $5.15. In practice the federal $7.25 applies to employers the federal law covers. Tennessee and Alabama have no state figure at all.
Does the state or the federal minimum wage apply?
The higher one. Section 218(a) says the federal law does not excuse noncompliance with a higher state or city rate. Where a state rate is lower, the federal rate governs for covered employers.
When do minimum wages go up?
It depends on the state's rule. California, Washington, Michigan, Colorado and Arizona move on or around January 1. Florida moved on September 30, 2026 and next moves on January 1, 2028. Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho and Kentucky move only with the federal rate.
Where do I find my state's current rate?
Use the state labor or commerce department's own rate page, then the statute. Check the date shown on the page and any announcement of the next rate.
Are city and county minimum wages covered here?
No. California's and Colorado's agencies both say that some local governments set higher rates. Check your city's website.
For the US statutes, regulations and court rules these laws sit in, see the US primary law API.
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Co-Founder & CTO
Priyansh leads engineering and AI at Vaquill AI: the pipelines that pull statutes, regulations and court rules from every US jurisdiction's official publisher, and the REST API, MCP server and open dataset that serve them.