What this tracks
What a job has to pay and what counts as comfortable — state minimum wages and where the upper middle class starts, every state side by side.
Why it matters to you
You can't ask for what you're worth if you don't know the number. Wage benchmarks give you the footing to push for a raise, a better rate, or a better-paying job.
For example
A warehouse worker who sees the going rate for a supervisor role walks into the conversation with a number, not a hope.
Minimum wage, by state
20 states have no higher minimum than the $7.25 federal floor. Search for yours, or tap a state on the map.
Hover or tab through the states to see each rate.
- Federal floor ($7.25)
- $7.26–10
- $10–12
- $12–14
- $14–16
- $16+
| Basis | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $7.25 | Federal floorNo state law; federal floor applies. |
| Alaska | $14.00 | State minimumFixed ballot-measure schedule ($14 eff. 7/1/26, $15 in 2027), then CPI-indexed. |
| Arizona | $15.15 | State minimumIndexed; some cities higher. |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | State minimum |
| California | $16.90 | State minimumMany cities set higher local minimums. |
| Colorado | $15.16 | State minimumIndexed; Denver higher. |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | State minimumIndexed to inflation. |
| Delaware | $15.00 | State minimumFinal scheduled step reached 1/1/2025; no further increase currently scheduled. |
| District of Columbia | $18.40 | State minimumDistrict, not a state; adjusts every July 1 (CPI, DC-metro) — the highest in the U.S. |
| Florida | $14.00 | State minimumRising to $15 on 9/30/2026. |
| Georgia | $7.25 | Federal floorState law is $5.15; federal $7.25 applies. |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | State minimumArrived at $16 for 2026; next scheduled step is $18 in 2028. |
| Idaho | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Illinois | $15.00 | State minimumChicago higher. |
| Indiana | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Iowa | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Kansas | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Louisiana | $7.25 | Federal floorNo state law; federal floor applies. |
| Maine | $14.65 | State minimumIndexed; Portland higher. |
| Maryland | $15.35 | State minimumTwo-tier by employer size: $15.35 (15+ employees) vs $15.00 (smaller) — this figure uses the larger-employer tier. |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | State minimum |
| Michigan | $13.73 | State minimumLitigation resolved (SB 8, Feb 2025); next step $15.00 in 2027, then CPI-indexed. |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | State minimumIndexed; unified in 2025. |
| Mississippi | $7.25 | Federal floorNo state law; federal floor applies. |
| Missouri | $15.00 | State minimumBallot-measure final step arrived; the paid-sick-leave mandate and planned CPI indexing were later rescinded by the legislature — future increases are not guaranteed. |
| Montana | $10.85 | State minimumIndexed to inflation. |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | State minimumBallot-measure final step arrived; a 2026 law (LB258) added a $13.50 youth sub-wage for 14-15 year-olds and swapped future indexing to a flat 1.75%/yr. |
| Nevada | $12.00 | State minimumUnified in 2024. |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | Federal floorNo state law; federal floor applies. |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | State minimumIndexed to inflation. |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | State minimumSome cities higher. |
| New York | $17.00 | State minimumNYC/Long Island/Westchester; $16.00 elsewhere. CPI indexing begins 2027. |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Ohio | $11.00 | State minimumIndexed; small employers (revenue below an indexed threshold) use $7.25. |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Oregon | $15.55 | State minimumStandard rate (adjusts every July 1); Portland metro $16.80, nonurban counties $14.55. |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | State minimumScheduled to reach $17 on 1/1/2027. |
| South Carolina | $7.25 | Federal floorNo state law; federal floor applies. |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | State minimumIndexed to inflation. |
| Tennessee | $7.25 | Federal floorNo state law; federal floor applies. |
| Texas | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Utah | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Vermont | $14.42 | State minimumIndexed to inflation. |
| Virginia | $12.77 | State minimumCPI-indexed. The original path to $15 needed a legislative re-enactment that has not happened. |
| Washington | $17.13 | State minimumIndexed; Seattle and others higher. |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | State minimum |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | Federal floor |
| Wyoming | $7.25 | Federal floorState law is $5.15; federal $7.25 applies. |
Effective state minimum wage, 2026 — the higher of the state minimum and the $7.25 federal floor, for a standard covered employee. Many cities set higher local minimums than their state, and several states rise on a schedule or index to inflation each January. Tipped, youth, and small-employer wages can differ. Educational, not legal advice; check the current rules where you work.
Where the upper middle class starts, by state
There is no single number — the bar moves about $71K between the lowest state and the highest, and the U.S. average sits at $126K. Search for yours, or tap a state on the map.
Hover or tab through the states to see each rate.
- $100K or less
- $101–115K
- $116–125K
- $126–135K
- $136–150K
- Over $150K
| Vs. U.S. average | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $104K | Below U.S. average |
| Alaska | $149K | Above U.S. average |
| Arizona | $127K | Above U.S. average |
| Arkansas | $97K | Below U.S. average |
| California | $156K | Above U.S. average |
| Colorado | $151K | Above U.S. average |
| Connecticut | $149K | Above U.S. average |
| Delaware | $136K | Above U.S. average |
| Florida | $121K | Below U.S. average |
| Georgia | $124K | Below U.S. average |
| Hawaii | $157K | Above U.S. average |
| Idaho | $126K | At U.S. average |
| Illinois | $129K | Above U.S. average |
| Indiana | $112K | Below U.S. average |
| Iowa | $112K | Below U.S. average |
| Kansas | $117K | Below U.S. average |
| Kentucky | $100K | Below U.S. average |
| Louisiana | $95K | Below U.S. average |
| Maine | $119K | Below U.S. average |
| Maryland | $160K | Above U.S. average |
| Massachusetts | $163K | Above U.S. averageThe highest bar in the country — about $71,000 above Mississippi's. |
| Michigan | $113K | Below U.S. average |
| Minnesota | $136K | Above U.S. average |
| Mississippi | $92K | Below U.S. averageThe lowest bar in the country, which reflects lower incomes and lower costs together. |
| Missouri | $111K | Below U.S. average |
| Montana | $117K | Below U.S. average |
| Nebraska | $119K | Below U.S. average |
| Nevada | $126K | At U.S. average |
| New Hampshire | $155K | Above U.S. average |
| New Jersey | $162K | Above U.S. average |
| New Mexico | $105K | Below U.S. average |
| New York | $133K | Above U.S. average |
| North Carolina | $115K | Below U.S. average |
| North Dakota | $121K | Below U.S. average |
| Ohio | $112K | Below U.S. average |
| Oklahoma | $103K | Below U.S. average |
| Oregon | $133K | Above U.S. average |
| Pennsylvania | $121K | Below U.S. average |
| Rhode Island | $130K | Above U.S. average |
| South Carolina | $113K | Below U.S. average |
| South Dakota | $120K | Below U.S. average |
| Tennessee | $112K | Below U.S. average |
| Texas | $124K | Below U.S. average |
| Utah | $150K | Above U.S. average |
| Vermont | $129K | Above U.S. average |
| Virginia | $143K | Above U.S. average |
| Washington | $155K | Above U.S. average |
| West Virginia | $95K | Below U.S. average |
| Wisconsin | $121K | Below U.S. average |
| Wyoming | $117K | Below U.S. average |
Household income, 2024 — from WalletHub, built on U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates. “Upper middle class” is not an official category, and the Census does not define one — the government supplies the income data, and where the line falls is the publisher’s call. The publisher does not show the formula behind it, so treat these as one reasonable benchmark rather than a settled fact. The fifty states only: District of Columbia is not in the source. A state figure also hides a lot — the bar in a big metro is well above the bar in a rural county of the same state. Educational, not financial advice, and not a target you owe anyone.
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