(NEXSTAR) — The federal minimum wage has remained unchanged since 2009, but is scheduled to increase in 2025 in more than 20 states.
Once the new rates go into effect, nearly a dozen states will have minimum hourly wages of $15 or more across the state.
No increase is expected in the remaining 21 states. And in all but one company, the minimum wage matches or falls below the federal rate of $7.25 an hour.
Which states are increasing their minimum wages?
Starting January 1, 2025, 21 states will increase their minimum wage. Wages expected to rise in Oregon and Florida July and septemberrespectively. of District of Columbia It is likely to increase in July as well.
Washington state is scheduled to have a minimum hourly wage of $16.66 in 2025, except for the District of Columbia, where the current minimum wage is $17.50. california, connecticut, new jersey, new york We will continue to offer rates above $15 per hour. In Delaware, illinoisRhode Island's statewide minimum wage will reach $15 an hour for the first time.
Maryland and Massachusetts are not scheduled to raise their minimum wages in 2025, but both are already at $15.
Note that some cities and counties within these states have higher wages than the state as a whole, and some industries may have higher hourly wages (lower for tipped workers). Worth it.
An interactive map shows where the minimum wage will and won't increase in 2025, as well as the rate for each state.
As of December 2024, 5 states no minimum wage: Alabama, louisiana, mississippi, tennesseeand south carolina. in georgia and wyomingthe minimum wage is $5.15.
In all seven states, employers Fair Labor Standards Act According to the federal minimum wage of $7.25. US Department of Labor.
Will the federal minimum wage increase in 2025?
It is unclear whether this interest rate will be raised in the near future. President Trump said in early December that the current rate of $7.25 is a “low number.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vt.), who has long fought to raise the minimum wage, said he looks forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump on raising the federal wage. Earlier this month, Sanders said in an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC's “Meet the Press” that the $7.25 hourly wage is “absolutely disgraceful.”
“There are millions of people in this country working on starvation wages who cannot afford to buy a home or feed their children adequately,” he said, adding, “I would propose… ” he added. [it] It will be $17 an hour, and I hope that we can work together in a bipartisan manner to ultimately achieve that goal. ”
