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22 States and D.C. Will Raise Minimum Wages in 2026 as California Sets $16.90 Floor

Different effective dates plus layered sectoral and local rules create a patchwork for employers and workers.

Overview

  • Most increases take effect Jan. 1, 2026, while Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., move on July 1 and Florida on Sept. 30, with Oregon and D.C. yet to announce the new amounts.
  • California’s statewide rate climbs to $16.90 on Jan. 1 through inflation indexing, which also raises the exempt-salary threshold to $70,304 for 2026.
  • Separate California standards keep some workers above the state floor, including fast-food employees at $20 an hour and health-care workers scheduled to move to $19.28–$25 on July 1, 2026.
  • Hawaii posts the largest 2026 jump with a $2 increase to $16, while Minnesota records the smallest at 28 cents to $11.41, against a federal minimum that has stayed at $7.25 since 2009.
  • Los Angeles approved a path to $30 an hour by 2028 for many hotel and airport workers, and the City Council president has now proposed delaying the full rate to 2030.