US Minimum Wage by State Checker
State and federal minimum wage, tipped cash wage and a pay-offer check.
The minimum as pay
Minimum wage in every state
| State | Minimum | Tipped cash | Source |
|---|
“Federal $7.25” means the state has no minimum wage law or a lower rate, so employers covered by federal law pay $7.25 (and at least $2.13 cash to tipped workers). “No tip credit” means tipped workers are paid the full minimum wage before tips. A dash under “Tipped cash” means the state’s page gives no separate tipped rate.
For general information only, not legal advice. Templates are generic starting points — have a qualified lawyer review anything you rely on.
About the US Minimum Wage by State Checker
Pick a state — or a region in New York and Oregon — to see its minimum wage, the cash wage employers may pay tipped workers where the state sets one, and how it compares with the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. Employers covered by both federal and state law must pay the higher rate. Then check a pay offer, hourly or salaried, against the minimum for the hours you work, and see what the minimum comes to per week, month and year.
Every state’s rate comes from that state’s own labor department, statute or official announcement, with a link to the page next to the rate; an increase that has already been announced is shown with its start date and used automatically from that day. A few states are not loaded yet: for them the checker links the department and lets you type the rate. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How to use it
- Choose your state (and your region in New York or Oregon). The rate, the tipped cash wage and the source page appear.
- Leave “covered by federal law” ticked unless your employer is a small business outside the Fair Labor Standards Act — most employers are covered.
- Enter an hourly rate, or a salary per year, month or week, and the hours you work in a week.
- Read whether the offer meets the minimum, how much short it is, and the minimum converted to weekly, monthly and yearly pay.
- Scroll the table to compare every state; copy the summary to keep it.
Examples
State minimum $16.90 — the offer meets it; the minimum at 40 hours is $676 a week, $2,929 a month, $35,152 a year
Georgia’s own rate is $5.15, but the federal $7.25 applies
Below the minimum by $102.75 a week: 40 hours at $16.90 plus 5 overtime hours at $25.35 come to $802.75
Federal and state minimum wages
The federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act is $7.25 an hour, and employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 if tips make up the rest (US Department of Labor). Most states set their own minimum, many of them higher; where both apply, the employer pays the higher rate. A few states have no minimum wage law or a rate below $7.25 — there, employers covered by federal law pay the federal minimum.
The US Department of Labor keeps a summary table, but state rates change on different dates and the summary can lag behind, so this checker reads each state’s own page — Florida’s, for example, is FloridaCommerce.
Tipped workers, regions and local minimums
- Tipped workers: the tipped cash wage is what the employer must pay before tips; tips must bring the total to at least the minimum wage, or the employer pays the difference. Some states, such as Montana, allow no tip credit at all.
- Regions: New York has a higher rate in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County; Oregon has a standard rate, a higher Portland metro rate and a lower rate for nonurban counties.
- Cities and counties: some localities — for example Denver, and many California cities — set minimums above the state rate. Check your city if it has its own ordinance.
How the pay check works
For hourly pay the offer is compared with the minimum rate. For a salary, the weekly pay (yearly ÷ 52, or monthly × 12 ÷ 52) is compared with what the minimum allows for your weekly hours, with time and a half for hours over 40 — the federal overtime rule for non-exempt employees. Conversions use 52 weeks a year: monthly = hourly × hours × 52 ÷ 12.
Limitations
- Some states are not loaded yet; their rate must be typed in (the checker still applies the federal floor).
- Local minimum wages, and industry rates such as California’s fast food and health care minimums, are not included.
- Exemptions (for example, salaried exempt employees, students, trainees, agricultural workers, small businesses) are not assessed; check the linked page.
- Daily overtime rules (such as California’s) are not applied — only the weekly 40-hour rule.
- This is information, not legal advice; for a dispute, contact the state labor department or a lawyer.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. What you enter or open here is not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal minimum wage?
$7.25 an hour, and $2.13 cash wage for tipped employees whose tips make up the difference. It applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act; a higher state or local minimum wins.
Which minimum applies if my state’s rate is lower than the federal one?
If your employer is covered by the federal law — most are — the federal $7.25 applies. Georgia and Wyoming, for example, have state rates of $5.15 that apply only where federal law does not.
Does a salary have to meet the minimum wage?
Yes, for non-exempt employees: the salary divided by the hours worked must be at least the minimum, with overtime pay for hours over 40 a week. Exempt employees are covered by different rules, which this checker does not test.
Why does my city have a higher minimum wage?
Some cities and counties set their own minimum by local ordinance. Employers there pay the highest of the local, state and federal rates that apply to them.
How often do state minimum wages change?
Many states adjust every January 1 for inflation; Oregon and the District of Columbia change on July 1, and Florida on September 30. Announced increases appear here with their start date and are used from that day.
Is my pay information stored?
No. The check runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.