2015 State Minimum Wage Increases

Jan 2, 2015 | Domestic Workers' Rights, Household Payroll & Taxes, Tax & Wage Laws

With the start of the New Year, the minimum wage rate will be increasing in nearly half the states. The guide below shows the 2015 state minimum wage increases, but does not reflect specific monetary values for minimum wages for local jurisdictions (city, county, districts), tipped wages, state-required Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), child labor laws, etc. GTM recommends employers prepare for upcoming changes to the minimum wage in their state. Where a 2015 increase is listed without a date, the effective date is 1/1/15.

State	2015 Min. Wage	General Notes
Alaska (AK)	$8.75	Alaska’s minimum wage increases to $9.75 on 1/1/16.
Arizona (AZ)	$8.05	Rate increases tied to consumer price index.
Arkansas (AR)	$7.50	Arkansas’ minimum wage increases to $8.00 on 1/1/16 and to $8.50 on 1/1/17.
Colorado (CO)	$8.23	Rate increases tied to consumer price index and is adjusted annually.
Connecticut (CT)	$9.15	Connecticut’s minimum wage increases to $9.60 on 1/1/16 and to $10.10 on 1/1/17.
Delaware (DE)	$7.75 ($8.25 on 6/1/15)	Delaware’s minimum wage increases to $8.25 on 6/1/15.
District of Columbia (D.C.)	$9.50 ($10.50 on 7/1/15)	D.C.’s minimum wage increases to $10.50 on 7/1/15 and to $11.50 on 7/1/16. Rate increases tied to consumer price index after 2016.
Florida (FL)	$8.05	Rate increases tied to consumer price index.
Hawaii (HI)	$7.75	Hawaii’s minimum wage increases to $8.50 on 1/1/16, to $9.25 on 1/1/17, and to $10.10 on 1/1/18.
Maryland (MD)	$8.00 ($8.25 on 7/1/15)	Maryland’s minimum wage increases to $8.25 on 7/1/15, to $8.75 on 7/1/16, to $9.25 on 7/1/2017 and to $10.10 on 7/1/2018.
Massachusetts (MA)	$9.00	Massachusetts’ minimum wage increases to $10.00 on 1/1/16, and to $11.00 on 1/1/17. Massachusetts Blue Laws require some employers to pay premium pay for Sundays and certain holidays.
Minnesota (MN)	$8.00 for large/$6.50 for small ($9.00/ $7.25 on 8/1/15)	Minnesota has two separate minimum wages based on employer size. Future increases for large businesses ($500,000+ in gross annual sales): $9.00 on 8/1/15 and $9.50 on 8/1/16. Future increases for small businesses (under $500,000 in gross annual sales): $7.25 on 8/1/15 and $7.75 on 8/1/16. There are different rates for those under 18 years of age.
Missouri (MO)	$7.65	Rate increases tied to consumer price index.
Montana (MT)	$8.05	Rate increases tied to consumer price index.
Nebraska (NE)	$8.00	Nebraska’s minimum wage increases to $9.00 on 1/1/16.
New Jersey (NJ)	$8.38	Rate increases tied to consumer price index.
New York (NY)	$8.75 ($9.00 on 12/31/15)	New York’s minimum wage increases to $9.00 on 12/31/15. New York has a minimum for exempt employees’ earnings of $656.25 per week as of 12/31/14 for the Executive and Administrative exemptions ($675 on 12/31/15). For most of the other exemptions, the federal minimum of $455 applies.
Ohio (OH)	$8.10	Rate increases tied to consumer price index. Employers who gross under $288,000.00 shall pay their employees no less than the current federal minimum wage rate.
Oregon (OR)	$9.25	Rate increases tied to consumer price index.
Rhode Island (RI)	$9.00
South Dakota (SD)	$8.50	Future rate increases tied to consumer price index.
Vermont (VT)	$9.15	Vermont’s minimum wage increases to $9.60 on 1/1/16, to $10.00 on 1/1/17, and to $10.50 on 1/1/18. Rate increases tied to consumer price index beginning in 2019.
Washington (WA)	$9.47	Rate increases tied to consumer price index. Many city rates differ from state minimum wage.
West Virginia (WV)	$8.00	West Virginia’s minimum wage increases to $8.75 on 1/1/16.