About a month ago, a local executive chef called me about resume services. When I asked him about his employment experience, the chef said that he started washing dishes at age 16 and moved up. Today, he only hires others that started at the bottom and then did every job “in the house.” Those jobs start at minimum wage, or even less for “tip jobs” in restaurants.
The minimum wage for employees covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), will remain at $7.25 per hour in 2025 although many states set higher rates in their own laws. Now, the minimum wage in two nearby states—New York and New Jersey—is more than $15 per hour, although my own state, Pennsylvania, will require covered employers to pay only $7.25 per hour next year. As a result, the states you are seeking work in matter, especially if you are “starting at the bottom” when finishing school, seeking a “day job” while finding your dream job, or accepting gig work through apps.
According to the Paycom blog, minimum wage rates run the gamut from $17 per hour to less than the Federal minimum wage. According to Paycom (updated from additional sources for 2025), nearly 20 percent of the states and the District of Columbia have enacted 2025 minimum wage rates of $15 per hour or more. Washington, DC has the highest minimum in the nation–$17.
Start at the bottom and earn $15/hour or more in some states.
You may want to start at the bottom where you can build experience and train for the future. There are places in the US where you could earn more than twice the Federal minimum wage in a “stepping stone” role.
According to Paycom, (with data updated using Perplexity), the following ten states, including the District of Columbia, will have minimum wages of $15.00 or more in 2025:
- California,
- Connecticut,
- Delaware,
- Maryland,
- Massachusetts,
- New Jersey,
- New York,
- Rhode Island,
- Washington, DC, and
- Washington State.
While $15 per hour is no longer a living wage in high-cost states such as New York or California, it is still a better “launch pad” than the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. On the other hand, many minimum-wage jobs, such as those in retail stores, personal care or food-service are “high touch” roles that cannot be done remotely. So, living in a low-cost state while working in a high-cost locality with a $15+ minimum wage is probably not an option.
Nearly 40% of the states, including DC, increased their minimum wage in 2025.
Although the Federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009, 21 states including the District of Columbia have continued to increase their own minimums for 2025. According to the Paycom blog and our Perplexity update these states are:
- Alaska,
- Arizona,
- California,
- Colorado,
- Connecticut,
- Delaware,
- Illinois,
- Maine,,
- Michigan,
- Minnesota,
- Missouri,
- Montana,
- Nebraska,
- New Jersey, ,
- Rhode Island,
- South Dakota,
- Vermont,
- Virginia,
- Washington, DC, and.
- Washington State.
It’s fair to say the Federal minimum wage is abysmally low by 21st Century standards, so it is fortunate that many states with high living costs have increased it on their own. But, history shows that the Federal Government has raised their minimum over time. It started at $0.25 per hour when the FLSA became law in 1938!
Pay rate minimums for each state are shown below.
Although some jobseekers, even at entry-level, have the flexibility to relocate into a high-minimum-wage state, many of us are not that mobile. We have to work in our own state, or a state within commuting distance. So, for completeness, we are including 2025 data from each state, with links to state websites, as provided in the Paycom blog. Once again, we updated 2025 numbers using Perplexity.
| State | 2025 Minimum Hourly Wage |
| Alabama | $7.25 |
| Alaska | $11.91 – up from $11.72 in 2024 |
| Arizona | $14.70 – up from $14.35 in 2024 |
| Arkansas | $11.00 |
| California | $16.50 – up from $16.00 in 2024 |
| Colorado | $14.81 – up from $14.42 in 2024 |
| Connecticut | $16.39 – Up from $15.69 in 2024 |
| Delaware | $15.00 – up from $13.25 in 2024 |
| Florida | $13.00 |
| Georgia | $7.25 |
| Hawaii | $14.00 |
| Idaho | $7.25 |
| Illinois | $15.00 – up from $14.00 in 2024 |
| Indiana | $7.25 |
| Iowa | $7.25 |
| Kansas | $7.25 |
| Kentucky | $7.25 |
| Louisiana | $7.25 |
| Maine | $14.65 – up from $14.15 in 2024 |
| Maryland | $15.00 |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 |
| Michigan | $10.56 – up from $10.33 in 2023 |
| Minnesota | $11.13 – up from $8.85 with exceptions for certain kinds of employers. |
| Mississippi | $7.25 |
| Missouri | $13.75 – up from $12.30 |
| Montana | $10.56 – up from $10.0 in 2024 |
| Nebraska | $13.50 – up from $12.00 |
| Nevada | $12.00 (effective July 1, 2024) |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 |
| New Jersey | $15.49 – increased from $15.13 in 2024. |
| New Mexico | $12.00 |
| New York | $16.50 – up from $15.00 in 2024, with exceptions for certain metro areas |
| N. Carolina | $7.25 |
| North Dakota | $7.25 |
| Ohio | $10.45 |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 |
| Oregon | $14.70 (varies in certain municipalities) |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 |
| Rhode Island | $15.00 – up from $14.00 in 2024 |
| S. Carolina | $7.2.5 |
| South Dakota | $11.60 – up from $11.20 in 2024 |
| Tennessee | $7.25 |
| Texas | $7.25 |
| Utah | $7.25 |
| Vermont | $14.01 – up from $13.67 in 2024 |
| Virginia | $12.41 – up from $12.00 in 2024 |
| Wash, DC | $17.00 |
| Washington | $16.66 – Up from $16.28 in 2024 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 |
| Wyoming | $7.25 |
It’s complicated.
Although the minimum wage issue seems straightforward, check your state’s department of labor website for current information on the minimum wage in that state, and its exceptions to the rule. Then, you will need expert help from a labor attorney or other qualified specialist when you believe your wage, or a job offer, does not meet legal requirements.
The laws can be complex, and have numerous exceptions. For example, the minimum wage for most of New York State is now $16.50 per hour, but it is even higher in New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties).
The situation in Oregon is even more confusing. According to Paycom, the minimum is “$1.25 over the standard minimum wage for employers in the Portland metro; $1 less than the standard minimum wage for non-urban counties.” (Effective July 1, 2024)
Additionally, many states have exceptions for “tip workers” in the restaurant and other industries. A few states even have minimum wages on the books that are below the Federal Government’s minimum, although the Federal minimum will apply much of the time. As a result, we have listed the Federal minimum for these states. The bottom line is that you cannot rely on this blog, or any other blog, for a definitive answer when you need one. Consult a lawyer about your specific circumstances.
Guide to the Post-pandemic Job Market
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.