minimum wage
In the simplest terms, lowest wage an employer can pay to an employee as regulated by a government. In the U.S., federal, state, and local governments can set minimum wages.
The U.S. Department of Labor manages the federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. In 2007, the FSLA was amended to increase the national minimum wage to $7.25 per hour for non-tipped workers and $2.13 for tipped workers by July 24, 2009. It has not increased since.
Thirty states and one territory have a higher minimum wage than the federal minimum wage:
- Alaska;
- Arizona;
- Arkansas;
- California
- Colorado;
- Connecticut;
- Delaware;
- Florida;
- Hawaii;
- Illinois;
- Maine;
- Maryland;
- Massachusetts;
- Michigan;
- Minnesota;
- Missouri;
- Montana;
- Nebraska;
- Nevada;
- New Jersey;
- New Mexico;
- New York;
- Ohio;
- Oregon;
- Rhode Island;
- South Dakota;
- Vermont;
- Virginia;
- Washington;
- Washington D.C.;
- and West Virginia.
All remaining states and U.S. territories have either a minimum wage at or below the federal minimum wage, or no minimum wage at all. Many cities have also raised local minimum wages above their state minimum wage.
Also see Section 14(c).
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