Which States Pay The Highest Minimum Wage? Here Are 12 States That Pay Over $12 An Hour
Which states pay the highest minimum wage to hourly employees? Check out this list of the 12 states giving out more than $12 an hour.
The minimum wage for workers has become a popular topic of debate over the last few years due to the global pandemic and a sudden shortage of workers in the restaurant and retail industries.
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, hardly enough to live comfortably in most states. This amount has stayed the same since 2009, even with the increased cost of living across the country.
Companies are now increasing the minimum wage for potential employees to attract more applicants, and the changes are happening across multiple industries.
A giant Federal Credit Union in San Antonio announced last week that it’s increasing the minimum wage for its employees from $15 to $20. A famous Seattle drive-in increased their minimum wage payments to $19, and employees can make $20 an hour for passing a skills test.
Want to know which states pay the highest minimum wage?
The Ascent – an offshoot of the popular Motley Fool website – recently spotlighted the 20 states that pay employees above $10 for minimum wage.
Here are 12 states that pay the highest minimum wage – $12 an hour and higher – to employees:
- Arizona: $12.15 per hour
- California: $13.00
- Colorado: $12.32
- Connecticut: $13.00
- Maine: $12.15
- Maryland: $11.75
- Massachusetts: $13.50
- New Jersey: $12.00
- New York: $12.50
- Oregon: $12.75
- Washington: $13.69
- Washington, D.C.: $15.20
If you’re looking for part-time work or a side hustle of sorts, a minimum wage job looks more attractive than ever, especially if you live in a state that pays the highest minimum wage rates.
Besides raising the amount of pay, companies are taking additional steps to hire new employees, like doing away with drug testing and offering massive signing bonuses to potential hires.