Today in HR: Minimum Wage Increases
Although the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr has not changed since 2009, several states, cities, and counties will have minimum wage increases as of January 1, 2019.
States with Increasing Minimum Wage as of January 1, 2019
States with minimum wage rates that increased as of January 1, 2019 include (* denotes either non-statewide wage or industry/profession-specific increases/wages):
- Alaska: $9.89
- Arizona: $11.00; Flagstaff $12.00
- Arkansas: $9.25
- California: *
- Colorado: $11.10
- Delaware: $8.75
- Florida: $8.46
- Illinois *
- Maryland *
- Maine: $11.00 *
- Massachusetts: $12.00
- Minnesota: $8.04 small employers; $9.86 large employers; $11.25 Minneapolis *
- Missouri: $8.60
- Montana: $8.50
- New Jersey: $8.85
- New Mexico *
- New York (increasing Dec 31, 2018): *
- Ohio: $8.55
- Oregon *
- Rhode Island: $10.50
- South Dakota: $9.10
- Vermont: $10.78
- Washington *
Several other cities and counties will also see minimum wage increases as of January 1, 2019. Please see the chart on this page for details.
States that Pay the Federal Minimum Wage
Although the majority of states have increased their local minimum wage rates, there are still plenty of states whose minimum wage is at the federal minimum rate of $7.25/hr. Those states include: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Local laws and ordinances may be different than this summary. If an employee works in an area with a higher minimum wage than the federal standard, the higher rate should be paid.
Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees
Federal minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13/hr, provided that this hourly rate combined with tips equals at least the federal minimum wage. Several states require employers to pay tipped employees the full state minimum wage before tips, whereas others require employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the federal minimum amount. See the state-specific laws in regard to tipped employees here.
Youth Minimum Wage
Workers under the age of 20 can be paid a minimum wage of $4.25/hr for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment when their work does not displace another worker. This applies to all employers covered by the FLSA, unless prohibited by State or local law. After 90 days, the teen must receive at least the federal minimum rate of $7.25/hr.
For questions about minimum wage or help with other wage and/or compliance matters, please contact our certified HR experts at HR@stratus.hr.
Originally published at stratus.hr on December 21, 2018 by author Brad Fagergren.
