Advertisement

Minimum Wage to Rise in 23 States in 2025

On Jan. 1, 69 cities, counties, and states will increase minimum wages with 28 more raising pay later in 2025.

December 18, 2024

A record 88 jurisdictions—23 states and 65 cities and counties—will raise their minimum wage floors by the end of 2025, according to the National Employment Law Project (NELP).

In 70 of these jurisdictions (nine states and 61 cities and counties) wages will reach or exceed US$15 an hour for some or all employees; in 53 jurisdictions (two states and 51 cities and counties) the wage floor will reach or exceed $17 an hour. 

On Jan. 1, 21 states and 48 cities and counties will raise their minimum wages. Additionally, five states and 23 cities and counties will increase their minimum wages later in the new year.

A growing number of states and localities are increasing their minimum wages to $15 an hour or above, USA Today reported. New York, California, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut are already there. On Jan. 1, Illinois, Delaware, and Rhode Island will increase their state minimums to $15. Oregon also will increase to $15 in July because of a cost-of-living rise.

Other states are raising their minimums but are shy of $15. Missouri’s minimum will grow to $13.75 and Nebraska’s minimum to $13.50. Nebraska’s minimum wage will increase to $15 on Jan. 1, 2026. Additionally, Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, and Missouri will reach a $15 minimum by 2026 or 2027. In total, 16 states—Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon and Washington—are on a path to a $15 (or higher) minimum wage, NELP reported.

Additionally, California and New Jersey will raise their minimum wages for some healthcare workers, including janitorial work in California, to $18 and above.

Regarding local governments, 47 localities will also hit or top $15 on Jan. 1, including more than four dozen in California, most of which will climb higher than $18. Burien, Washington—already subject to the state’s $16.28 minimum pay—will jump to $21.16 for employers with 500 or more workers in King County, making it the nation’s highest minimum wage.

On the other hand, the federal minimum wage has been stagnant at $7.25 an hour since 2009. Nearly 30 states housing about 60% of the U.S. workforce have higher minimum wages than the federal limit.

Tags

Latest Articles

3 Ways to Remove Handwashing Barriers Inside Public Restrooms
February 13, 2025 Katrin Ferge

3 Ways to Remove Handwashing Barriers Inside Public Restrooms

February 11, 2025 Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner

Clean Spaces Equal Healthier Lives

February 7, 2025

Go on Pathogen Patrol: Arm Yourself with Cleaning and Disinfecting Tips to Combat Facility Germs

Sponsored Articles

Infection Control Starts with Insights
January 31, 2025 Sponsored by OPTISOLVE

Infection Control Starts with Insights

January 28, 2025 Sponsored by Kikkoman

Effectiveness of the ATP Test (Kikkoman A3) for Cleaning Efficiency

January 20, 2025 Sponsored by SAFEguard Pro

This ONE Product Will Transform Your Winter

Recent News

lawsuit

Judges Halt Cuts to Public Health Research in Some States & Order Health Information Restored

New mpox Strain Confirmed in New York

Nevada Dairy Worker Infected With Different Bird Flu Strain