Minimum Wage by State 2026 - Interactive Map & Table

📜 History of the Federal Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage was established in 1938 under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):

Year	Rate	President
1938	$0.25	F. Roosevelt
1950	$0.75	Truman
1956	$1.00	Eisenhower
1961	$1.15	Kennedy
1963	$1.25	Kennedy
1967	$1.40	L. Johnson
1968	$1.60	L. Johnson
1974	$2.00	Nixon
1975	$2.10	Ford
1976	$2.30	Ford
1978	$2.65	Carter
1979	$2.90	Carter
1980	$3.10	Carter
1981	$3.35	Reagan
1990	$3.80	G.H.W. Bush
1991	$4.25	G.H.W. Bush
1996	$4.75	Clinton
1997	$5.15	Clinton
2007	$5.85	G.W. Bush
2008	$6.55	G.W. Bush
2009	$7.25	Obama

Adjusted for inflation, the 1968 minimum wage ($1.60) would be worth approximately $14.00:

⚖️ State vs. Federal Preemption

The FLSA sets a floor, not a ceiling. States may set a minimum wage higher than the federal $7.25/hr, but they cannot set one lower. When state and federal rates differ, the higher rate applies.

Preemption Rules

No state preemption: 15 states + DC allow cities/counties to set their own minimum wage above the state level (e.g., Seattle, WA; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL).
Express preemption: 25 states explicitly forbid local governments from setting their own minimum wage (e.g., FL, GA, TX, TN, NC, MI, OH, PA).
Home rule states: ~10 states where the issue is legally ambiguous or locally determined by charter.

Special Rules

Tipped workers: Federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13/hr. If tips + $2.13 don't reach $7.25, the employer must make up the difference. 7 states require the full state minimum wage for tipped workers regardless of tips.
Youth/student wages: Federal law allows $4.25/hr for under-20 workers during first 90 days. Many states have different youth minimum wage provisions.
Union exemption: Unionized workplaces with collective bargaining agreements may have different minimum rates.

This table shows the statewide minimum wage. Some cities and counties within non-preempted states have higher local minimums (e.g., Seattle $19.97/hr, Denver $18.81/hr, Chicago $16.20/hr in 2026).

📈 States That Index to Inflation

These states automatically adjust their minimum wage each year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or other inflation measures, which highlights wages keep pace with the cost of living without requiring new legislation.

How Indexing Works

Adjustments are typically based on the CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) or CPI-U.
Most indexing states calculate the change in CPI from Q3 of the prior year to Q3 of the current year.
Adjustments are rounded to the nearest $0.05 or $0.10 and take effect on January 1 of the following year.
Some states (e.g., Washington) have a floor that prevents the wage from decreasing even in deflationary periods.