Minimum Wage Raises in 2025
In 2025, 21 states are implementing a higher minimum wage!
The states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
How did that happen?
Minimum wage increases can be passed at the federal, state, or local level through different processes.
At the federal level, the House of Representatives and the Senate (Congress members elected by voters) must pass a bill for higher wages, which would then be signed into law by the President. The minimum wage increase would become federal law, and all states must comply with the new rate. The current federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour.
State governments (state representatives elected by voters) pass minimum wage increases through state legislatures or ballot initiatives to allow voters to decide. States minimum wages can be higher than the federal minimum wage, and employees are entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.
As of January 2025, the top 5 states with the highest minimum wage are:
Washington, DC: $17.50
Washington: $16.66
California: $16.50
Connecticut: $16.35
Hawaii: $16.00
Did you know that cities and counties can pass their own minimum wage laws? Local city councils or county boards (council members and board members elected by voters) can pass minimum wage increase ordinances that apply to all businesses within that jurisdiction.
Keep the momentum going!
During the 2024 Presidential election, 81% of voters reported that the economy and inflation were the most important issues to their vote. The graph below shows the 40-year high inflation rate in 2022 exceeded the real value of American wages, which meant Americans saw a decline in their purchasing power.
The people we elect into office have the power to raise wages! These officials and minimum wage ballot initiatives are often on the ballot, even in low-election years like 2025. Millions of us live in Cities and towns that will have municipal elections this year. Is there an election in your City?
At Feel Good Action, we support high minimum wage laws to help hard-working people stay in their homes and put food on their tables. Livable wages are one critical piece of building healthy societies. So make sure you’re registered to vote (checking only takes 30 seconds!) and know the date of the next election in your area. You can look it up on Activote. It’s probably sooner than you think.
