Labor rights
Labor Rights by State
Your rights at work depend heavily on where you live. The federal government sets the floor, and the states decide almost everything above it: paid sick days, paid family leave, meal breaks, and how fast you get your final paycheck. This guide covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia in plain English, with a side-by-side comparison tool and the 2026 minimum wage ranking.
Data last verified 2026-10-12
The federal baseline
Federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour (unchanged since 2009). Overtime: 1.5 times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Federal law does not require paid sick leave, paid family leave, or meal and rest breaks. Those protections come from state law, which is what the tables below compare.
Compare states side by side
Pick two to four states to compare every workplace rule at once.
2026 minimum wage ranking
Click a column header to sort. Badges summarize the full rule; each state page has the details.
| State | Min wage | Tipped wage | Paid sick | Paid family leave | Right-to-work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $18.40 | $10.30 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Washington | $17.13 | $17.13 | Yes | Yes | No |
| New York | $17.00 | $11.35 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $6.38 | Yes | Yes | No |
| California | $16.90 | $16.90 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | $14.75 | No | Yes | No |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $3.89 | Yes | Yes | No |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $6.05 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Oregon | $15.55 | $15.55 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Colorado | $15.16 | $12.14 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Arizona | $15.15 | $12.15 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Maine | $15.10 | $7.55 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Delaware | $15.00 | $2.23 | No | Yes | No |
| Florida | $15.00 | $11.98 | No | No | Yes |
| Illinois | $15.00 | $9.00 | Yes | No | No |
| Maryland | $15.00 | $3.63 | Yes | No | No |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | $6.75 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Missouri | $15.00 | $7.50 | No | No | No |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | $2.13 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Vermont | $14.42 | $7.21 | Yes | Limited | No |
| Alaska | $14.00 | $14.00 | Yes | No | No |
| Michigan | $13.73 | $5.49 | Yes | No | No |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Nevada | $12.00 | $12.00 | No | No | Yes |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | $3.00 | Yes | No | No |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $5.93 | No | No | Yes |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | $11.41 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | $2.63 | No | No | Yes |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $5.50 | No | No | No |
| Montana | $10.85 | $10.85 | No | No | No |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | $2.62 | No | No | Yes |
| Alabama | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Georgia | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Idaho | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Indiana | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Iowa | $7.25 | $4.35 | No | No | Yes |
| Kansas | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Louisiana | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Mississippi | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | $3.27 | No | Limited | No |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | $4.86 | No | No | Yes |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $2.83 | No | No | No |
| South Carolina | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Tennessee | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Texas | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Utah | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | $2.33 | No | No | Yes |
| Wyoming | $7.25 | $2.13 | No | No | Yes |
All states and the District of Columbia
- Alabama$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Alaska$14.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Arizona$15.15 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work yes.
- Arkansas$11.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- California$16.90 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Colorado$15.16 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Connecticut$16.94 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Delaware$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- District of Columbia$18.40 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Florida$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Georgia$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Hawaii$16.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- Idaho$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Illinois$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Indiana$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Iowa$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Kansas$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Kentucky$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Louisiana$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Maine$15.10 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Maryland$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Massachusetts$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Michigan$13.73 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Minnesota$11.41 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Mississippi$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Missouri$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- Montana$10.85 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- Nebraska$15.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work yes.
- Nevada$12.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- New Hampshire$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- New Jersey$15.92 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- New Mexico$12.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- New York$17.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- North Carolina$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- North Dakota$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Ohio$11.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- Oklahoma$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Oregon$15.55 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Pennsylvania$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work no.
- Rhode Island$16.00 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- South Carolina$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- South Dakota$11.85 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Tennessee$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Texas$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Utah$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Vermont$14.42 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- Virginia$12.77 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Washington$17.13 minimum wage, paid sick leave yes, right-to-work no.
- West Virginia$8.75 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Wisconsin$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
- Wyoming$7.25 minimum wage, paid sick leave no, right-to-work yes.
Workplace laws change. These summaries reflect state law as verified on 2026-10-12; confirm details with your state labor department before acting on them.
Planning estimate only. Results use the list prices shown and may differ from your actual bill. Terms
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal minimum wage in 2026?
$7.25 an hour. It has not changed since 2009, and it applies in every state that does not set a higher rate. Right now, 30 states plus the District of Columbia set a higher minimum wage.
Which state has the highest minimum wage in 2026?
Washington, at $17.13 an hour. The District of Columbia is higher still at $18.40 an hour, but it is not a state.
Do all states require paid sick leave?
No. 19 states plus the District of Columbia have a statewide paid sick leave law. In the rest, paid sick time depends on your employer or on city and county rules.
What does right-to-work mean?
In a right-to-work state, you cannot be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment, even if your workplace has a union. 26 states have right-to-work laws.
What is the minimum wage in my state in 2026?
It depends on your state. The federal floor is $7.25 an hour, but 30 states plus the District of Columbia set a higher rate. The 2026 minimum wage ranking above lists every state's rate, and each state page has the full details on tipped wage, overtime, paid leave, and breaks.
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