State minimum wage increases on January 1, 2027: 12 states confirmed, New York stays at $17.00
Twelve states have a confirmed new minimum wage that starts on January 1, 2027, from Montana's $11.20 to Washington's $17.73 an hour, and Colorado has published a $15.71 rate for 2027. New York is not on the list: its Department of Labor says the state rate stays at $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester and $16.00 elsewhere, because an inflation "off-ramp" was triggered. The federal minimum wage in 29 U.S.C. 206 remains $7.25 an hour.
- Highest state rate on Jan. 1, 2027
- $17.73 an hour (Washington)
- Largest Jan. 1, 2027 increase
- +$1.27, Michigan, $13.73 to $15.00
- New York on Jan. 1, 2027
- No change: $17.00 (NYC, Long Island, Westchester), $16.00 (rest of state)
- Set by law, figure not yet published
- Nebraska (+1.75% by statute), Arizona and Vermont (inflation formulas)
- Next mid-year step
- Alaska $15.00 on July 1, 2027
- Federal minimum wage
- $7.25 an hour, 29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)(C)
Figures above were read from state labor agency pages and state statutes on 2026-10-16. See sources.
Confirmed state minimum wage increases on January 1, 2027
Each 2027 figure below was read on the state labor agency's own page or in the state statute. The change column is our subtraction of the two official figures. Tipped cash wages are shown only where the same official page states them.
| State | Rate in 2026 | Rate from Jan. 1, 2027 | Change | Tipped cash wage, 2027 | Where the 2027 figure comes from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.73 | +$0.60 | Tips may not count toward the minimum | Washington L&I |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 | +$0.54 | Not on the cited page | Governor's announcement, Aug. 2026 |
| California | $16.90 | $17.40 | +$0.50 | Not on the cited page | California DIR news release, Aug. 13, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 | +$1.00 | Not in the cited section | R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3(q) |
| New Jersey (most employers) | $15.92 | $16.48 | +$0.56 | $6.61 (from $6.05) | NJDOL news release, Sept. 29, 2026; NJDOL form MW-571 |
| Colorado | $15.16 | $15.71 (listed as the 2027 rate) | +$0.55 | $12.69 (from $12.14) | CDLE Division of Labor Standards and Statistics |
| Maine | $15.10 | $15.70 | +$0.60 | $7.85 (from $7.55) | Maine DOL news release, Sept. 18, 2026 |
| Michigan | $13.73 | $15.00 | +$1.27 | Not on the cited page | Michigan LEO Wage and Hour |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $13.75 | +$0.98 | Not in the cited section | Va. Code 40.1-28.10(C) |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $12.30 | +$0.45 | $6.15 (from $5.925) | South Dakota DLR |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | $11.87 | +$0.46 | No tip credit allowed | Minnesota DLI |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $11.40 | +$0.40 | $5.70 plus tips (from $5.50) | Ohio Department of Commerce 2027 poster |
| Montana | $10.85 | $11.20 | +$0.35 | No tip credit allowed | Montana DLI |
Some of these states have other rates on the same pages. New Jersey's release sets $16.25 for seasonal and small employers (fewer than six employees), up from $15.23, and $15 for agricultural workers, up from $14.20. Minnesota's 90-day training wage for workers under 20 rises to $9.68. Montana's page allows $4.00 an hour for a business not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act with gross annual sales of $110,000 or less. Ohio's 2027 poster says employers grossing less than $419,000 pay at least the federal $7.25.
California's release also gives the 2027 salary threshold for exempt employees: $72,384 a year. Maine's release puts its 2027 exempt salary threshold at $905.79 a week.
States where the 2027 increase is set by law but the figure is not confirmed
| State | Rate in 2026 | What the law says about Jan. 1, 2027 | Status on 2026-10-16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $15.00 | The $15.00 rate "shall be increased on January 1, 2027" by one and three-quarters percent; tipped employees get at least $2.13 plus tips | The statute says the Nebraska Department of Labor must publish the rate by October 15, 2026. We did not find the published dollar figure on the department's pages. |
| Arizona | Not confirmed | Rises each January 1 by the August-to-August change in the U.S. city average CPI-U, rounded to the nearest five cents | Not confirmed. The Industrial Commission of Arizona's pages refused our automated reader (HTTP 403). |
| Vermont | $14.42 ($7.21 tipped) | Rises each January 1 by 5 percent or the CPI-U change for the 12 months before September 1, whichever is smaller; tipped basic wage is one-half the minimum | The Vermont Department of Labor page lists the 2026 rate; no 2027 rate was posted. |
2027 changes on dates other than January 1
| Jurisdiction | Rate now | 2027 change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $14.00 (since July 1, 2026) | $15.00 effective July 1, 2027 | Alaska Stat. 23.10.065; Alaska Wage and Hour |
| Oregon | $15.55 standard; $16.80 Portland metro; $14.55 non-urban (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) | Inflation increase, if applicable, on July 1, 2027; not yet published | Oregon BOLI |
| District of Columbia | $18.40; tipped base $10.30 (since July 1, 2026) | Annual CPI increase; the July 1, 2027 figure is not yet published | DC DOES public notice |
No state increase on January 1, 2027
New York's Department of Labor says that for 2027 one of the statutory off-ramp conditions was met, so "the minimum wage will not receive an inflation-based increase" on January 1, 2027. The same page says home care aide rates still rise on that date, to $20.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester and $19.00 elsewhere, and that the Governor has proposed changing the off-ramp provisions.
Florida reached $15.00 on September 30, 2026. Its constitution has the state calculate the first inflation adjustment on September 30, 2027, and says "Each adjusted Minimum Wage rate calculated shall be published and take effect on the following January 1st." The first indexed Florida rate therefore takes effect on January 1, 2028.
| State | Rate in 2026 | Next change in the source we read | Tipped cash wage on the same page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $17.00 NYC, Long Island, Westchester; $16.00 rest of state | None on Jan. 1, 2027 (off-ramp) | Food service: $11.35 / $10.70; service: $14.15 / $13.30 | NY DOL |
| Florida | $15.00 (since Sept. 30, 2026) | Inflation adjustment effective Jan. 1, 2028 | Not stated in dollars | Fla. Const. art. X, sec. 24 |
| Hawaii | $16.00 (since Jan. 1, 2026) | $18.00 on Jan. 1, 2028 | Not stated in dollars | Hawaii DLIR |
| Missouri | $15.00 | None in RSMo 290.502 as effective Aug. 28, 2025 | At least $7.50 plus tips | Missouri DOLIR; RSMo 290.502 |
| Illinois | $15 (since Jan. 1, 2025) | None in 820 ILCS 105/4 | Not stated in dollars | 820 ILCS 105/4 |
| Delaware | $15.00 (since Jan. 1, 2025) | None in 19 Del. C. 902 | Not less than $2.23 | 19 Del. C. 902 |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | None in M.G.L. c. 151, sec. 1 | Not in the cited section | M.G.L. c. 151, sec. 1 |
| Maryland | $15 | None on the cited page | At least $3.63 | Maryland Labor ESS |
| New Mexico | $12.00 (since Jan. 1, 2023) | None on the cited page | $3.00 | New Mexico DWS |
| West Virginia | $8.75 (after Dec. 31, 2015) | None in W. Va. Code 21-5C-2 | Not in the cited text | W. Va. Code 21-5C-2 |
Where the federal $7.25 applies
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the federal minimum at $7.25 an hour in 29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)(C). Where a state rate is lower or missing, covered employers pay the federal rate.
- Georgia: the Georgia Department of Labor says "Georgia's minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, however, with some limited exceptions, the federal minimum wage rate applies."
- Wyoming: Wyo. Stat. 27-4-202(a) sets a state rate of $5.15 an hour, and 27-4-202(b) sets $2.13 for tipped employees.
- Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee: the U.S. Department of Labor's State Minimum Wage Laws page (updated July 1, 2026) lists each with "No state minimum wage law."
Cities and counties in several states set higher local minimum wages. The Minnesota, Colorado and Maryland agency pages cited here name local ordinances (Minneapolis and St. Paul; Denver, Edgewater and Boulder; Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties). This page covers state rates only.
The state unemployment taxable wage bases that also change for 2027 are listed in our 2027 SUI taxable wage base by state record.
What we could not confirm
- Arizona's 2027 rate. The Industrial Commission of Arizona's minimum wage page and news page, read in a browser on 2026-10-16, offered only the 2026 poster and the 2026 increase notice. We read the formula in A.R.S. 23-363.
- Nebraska's 2027 dollar figure. Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-1203(2) required the Nebraska Department of Labor to publish it by October 15, 2026; the department's Labor Standards page and news releases we read on 2026-10-16 still showed the $15 rate for 2026 and no 2027 figure.
- Vermont's 2027 rate. The Vermont Department of Labor's rights-and-wages page listed rates through January 1, 2026 when we read it.
- Colorado's start date. The CDLE page lists $15.71 as the 2027 rate and $12.69 for tipped workers but does not state the effective day.
- Arkansas, Nevada and other states not named on this page. We did not confirm their rates on an official page for this record (the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing page returned HTTP 403; the Nevada Labor Commissioner minimum wage address we tried returned an error page).
- The 2027 tipped cash wages for Connecticut, California, Michigan, Rhode Island and Virginia were not on the pages or statute sections cited, so they are not listed.
Questions
Which states raise the minimum wage on January 1, 2027?
Confirmed on official pages: California, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia and Washington. Colorado lists $15.71 as its 2027 rate. Nebraska, Arizona and Vermont have increases set by law whose 2027 figures we could not confirm.
What is the New York minimum wage in 2027?
The New York State Department of Labor says it stays at $17.00 an hour in New York City, Long Island and Westchester and $16.00 in the rest of the state on January 1, 2027, because an off-ramp condition was met.
What is the California minimum wage in 2027?
$17.40 an hour starting January 1, 2027, up from $16.90, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations.
What is the Michigan minimum wage in 2027?
$15.00 an hour effective January 1, 2027, up from $13.73, according to Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
Is the federal minimum wage going up in 2027?
The rate in 29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)(C) is $7.25 an hour, and no other general rate appears in the section we read.
Sources
- State Minimum Wage Laws (updated July 1, 2026) - U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, read 2026-10-16
- Minimum wage main page and news - Industrial Commission of Arizona, read 2026-10-16
- Washington 2026 and 2027 rates, tips rule - Washington Department of Labor & Industries: Minimum wage, read 2026-10-16
- Connecticut 2026 and 2027 rates - Office of Governor Ned Lamont: Connecticut's minimum wage will increase to $17.48 on January 1, 2027, read 2026-10-16
- California 2027 rate and exempt salary - California Department of Industrial Relations news release 2026-66, read 2026-10-16
- California 2026 rate - California Labor Commissioner: Minimum wage FAQ, read 2026-10-16
- Rhode Island 2026 and 2027 rates - R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3, read 2026-10-16
- New Jersey 2026 and 2027 rates, tipped cash wage - New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development news release, Sept. 29, 2026, read 2026-10-16
- New Jersey 2026 rate - NJDOL: New Jersey's Minimum Wage, form MW-571 (PDF), read 2026-10-16
- Colorado 2026 and 2027 rates, tipped rates, local ordinances - Colorado Department of Labor and Employment: Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, read 2026-10-16
- Maine 2026 and 2027 rates, tip wage, salary threshold - Maine Department of Labor: Maine's Minimum Wage to Increase to $15.70 Per Hour in 2027, read 2026-10-16
- Michigan 2026 and 2027 rates - Michigan LEO Wage and Hour Division: Minimum wage, read 2026-10-16
- Virginia 2026 and 2027 rates - Code of Virginia 40.1-28.10, read 2026-10-16
- South Dakota 2026 and 2027 rates, tipped rates - South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: Minimum wage, read 2026-10-16
- Minnesota 2026 and 2027 rates, training wage, tip credit, local ordinances - Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry: Minimum wage in Minnesota, read 2026-10-16
- Ohio 2027 rates - Ohio Department of Commerce: State of Ohio 2027 Minimum Wage poster (PDF), read 2026-10-16
- Ohio 2026 rates - Ohio Department of Commerce: State of Ohio 2026 Minimum Wage poster (PDF), read 2026-10-16
- Ohio January 1 effective date - Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 34a, read 2026-10-16
- Montana 2026 and 2027 rates, small-business rate, tip credit - Montana Department of Labor & Industry: Montana's Minimum Wage, read 2026-10-16
- Nebraska rate and 2027 rule - Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-1203, read 2026-10-16
- Arizona formula - A.R.S. 23-363, read 2026-10-16
- Vermont 2026 rates - Vermont Department of Labor: Worker Rights & Protections, read 2026-10-16
- Vermont formula - 21 V.S.A. 384, read 2026-10-16
- Alaska 2026 and 2027 rates - Alaska Stat. 23.10.065 and Alaska Department of Labor: Wage and Hour, read 2026-10-16
- Oregon rates July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 - Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries: Minimum wage, read 2026-10-16
- District of Columbia rates - DC Department of Employment Services: Minimum Wage Increase public notice (PDF), read 2026-10-16
- New York rates and off-ramp - New York State Department of Labor: Minimum Wage, read 2026-10-16
- Florida rate and 2027 adjustment rule - Florida Constitution, Article X, Section 24 (Florida Senate), read 2026-10-16
- Hawaii rates - Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division: Minimum Wage and Overtime, read 2026-10-16
- Missouri rate and tipped wage - Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations: Minimum Wage and RSMo 290.502, read 2026-10-16
- Illinois rate - 820 ILCS 105/4, read 2026-10-16
- Delaware rate and tipped minimum - 19 Del. C. 902, read 2026-10-16
- Massachusetts rate - M.G.L. c. 151, sec. 1, read 2026-10-16
- Maryland rate, tipped wage, county ordinances - Maryland Department of Labor: Minimum Wage and Overtime Law, read 2026-10-16
- New Mexico rates - New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions: Minimum Wage Information, read 2026-10-16
- West Virginia rate - W. Va. Code 21-5C-2, read 2026-10-16
- Georgia - Georgia Department of Labor: Minimum Wage, read 2026-10-16
- Wyoming - Wyoming Statutes Title 27, 27-4-202 (PDF), read 2026-10-16
- Federal minimum wage - 29 U.S.C. 206, U.S. Code 2023 edition (govinfo), read 2026-10-16
Source links are not affiliate links. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Minimum wage rules depend on the facts, the employer and the state.
