The minimum wage might be stuck at a paltry $7.25 per hour on the federal level in the US, but all the 50 individual states in the union don't have to take that lying down. At least, half of them don't: In 2024, 25 US states will be raising their minimum wages.
That's a big impact in total, with freshly boosted wages ranging from Montana's new $10.30 per hour wage to Washington state's impressive $16.28 per hour minimum.
Are you among the millions of American workers who will benefit at least a little from higher wages in 2024? Check out the list below and you'll find out.
States Raising Minimum Wages in January 2024
Workers are still fighting for an economy-boosting $15-per-hour federal wage, but workers in three US states will actually surpass $16 per hour when the new year rolls around: Minimums in California and New York are both hitting $16 in January 2024, with only Washington's $16.28 per hour standard representing a higher minimum.
Sadly, out of the 25 states that are not raising their wages in 2024, a full 20 haven't budged from the federal minimum.
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If your state isn't on the list below, odds are not in your favor. The only place where our federal minimum wage is actually the “living wage” that it is meant to be was in the last decade in which it actually kept up with inflation: The 1960s.
In alphabetical order, these are all the US states that are raising their minimum wages on January 1, 2024, alongside that state's new 2024 minimum wage.
- Alaska: $11.73 per hour
- Arizona: $14.35 per hour
- California: $16 per hour
- Colorado: $14.42 per hour
- Connecticut: $15.69 per hour
- Delaware: $13.25 per hour
- Hawaii: $14 per hour
- Illinois: $14 per hour
- Maine: $14.15 per hour
- Maryland: $15 per hour
- Michigan: $10.33 per hour
- Minnesota: $10.85 per hour
- Missouri: $12.30 per hour
- Montana: $10.30 per hour
- Nebraska: $12 per hour
- New Jersey: $15.13 per hour
- New York: $16 per hour
- Ohio: $10.45 per hour
- Rhode Island: $14 per hour
- South Dakota: $11.20 per hour
- Vermont: $13.67 per hour
- Washington: $16.28 per hour
Check your city's wage minimums, as well: In many cases, workers within a major city's limits will have a higher minimum wage in order to address the higher cost of living in a major city center.
States Raising Minimum Wages Later in 2024
Not every state's new minimum standard for wages will go into effect on the first day of the year: Three of them are set to kick in a little while down the road in 2024.
So, if you're in one of these three states, you'll have to wait a while longer to get your higher wages.
- Florida: $13 per hour, as of September 30, 2024. Until then, it's $12 per hour.
- Nevada: $12 per hour, as of July 1, 2024. Until then, it's $10.25 per hour (if the employee offers qualifying health benefits).
- Oregon: TBD, as of July 1, 2024. Until then, it's $14.20 per hour.
Those living and working in Orgeon state will be getting a new minimum wage on July 1, the same time they get it every year. Last time, on July 1, 2023, that adjustment was $14.20, up from the $13.50 minimum that was set on July 1, 2022. It's based on the increase to the US City Average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, so keep your eyes on that index for more info.
Don't Forget to Check Your State's Overtime Regulations, Too
The US takes a famously hodgepodge approach to wage regulation, with every state settling on different minimums, plus a heaping handful of confusing add-ons. Overtime rules are another big factor worth Googling for your personal state, since there are so many variations.
For instance, if you're in Nevada and make more than one and one-half times the minimum wage, you should be paid overtime at one and one-half times your regular rate of pay for every hour worked past your first 40 in any given week.
Plus, some states have different minimums for white collar workers as well.
