Minimum Wage Increases on January 1, 2027: New Rates by State

Minimum wages rise on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, in California, Washington, New Jersey, Minnesota, Virginia, Michigan, South Dakota and Seattle, according to each state’s labor agency or the Seattle Office of Labor Standards. Michigan’s rate goes to $15.00 an hour, and Seattle’s city rate goes to $22.14. New York stays put, and the federal minimum stays at $7.25.

Every rate in the table comes from an official page listed under the story. The dollar and percent changes are our own arithmetic on those rates, rounded to one decimal. A printable one-page list of the same rates is in the downloads box on this page, and the changes sit alongside other new laws that start on Jan. 1, 2027.

Minimum wage rates on January 1, 2027, by state

State or city	2026 rate	Jan. 1, 2027 rate	Change	Percent change
Seattle (city)	$21.30	$22.14	+$0.84	3.9%
Washington	$17.13	$17.73	+$0.60	3.5%
California	$16.90	$17.40	+$0.50	3.0%
New Jersey (most employees)	$15.92	$16.48	+$0.56	3.5%
Michigan	$13.73	$15.00	+$1.27	9.2%
Virginia	$12.77	$13.75	+$0.98	7.7%
South Dakota (non-tipped)	$11.85	$12.30	+$0.45	3.8%
Minnesota	$11.41	$11.87	+$0.46	4.0%

Sources: California Department of Industrial Relations (release 2026-66, Aug. 13, 2026); Washington Department of Labor & Industries (release 26-17, Sept. 30, 2026); New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (Sept. 29, 2026); Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity; Virginia Code 40.1-28.10; South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation; Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (Aug. 19, 2026); Seattle Office of Labor Standards. Washington’s 3.5% matches the figure in the state’s release.

What changes in each state

California. The Department of Industrial Relations says the statewide minimum wage will rise to $17.40 an hour on Jan. 1, 2027, up $0.50 from $16.90 in 2026.

Washington. The Department of Labor & Industries announced $17.73, a 3.5% increase from $17.13.

New Jersey. The labor department set $16.48 for most employees, up $0.56 from $15.92.

Minnesota. The Department of Labor and Industry adjusted the rate for inflation to $11.87, up from $11.41. The training wage for workers under 20 rises from $9.31 to $9.68.

Virginia. State law, Va. Code 40.1-28.10, moves the rate from $12.77 to $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2027, and to $15.00 on Jan. 1, 2028.

Michigan. The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity states: “Effective January 1, 2027, the minimum wage rate is $15.00 per hour.” The 2026 rate was $13.73.

South Dakota. The Department of Labor and Regulation lists $12.30 for non-tipped workers, up from $11.85. The tipped rate goes from $5.925 to $6.15.

Seattle. The Office of Labor Standards says the city’s minimum wage increases every year on Jan. 1. The 2027 city rate is $22.14, up from $21.30.

Which minimum wages do not change on January 1, 2027?

New York’s rates stay the same. The governor’s office says the state minimum wage “will not change on January 1, 2027”: $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester, and $16.00 in the rest of the state. The office adds that a proposed increase on March 1, 2027, needs legislation.

The federal minimum wage stays at $7.25 an hour, per the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.

Other places with changes to confirm

Colorado, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Arizona, Ohio, Montana, Nebraska, Vermont and Denver have also announced changes for 2027. We could not check their official pages, so we list no rates for them. Their state labor departments post the new rates, and we will add each one here once it is confirmed on the official page.

How to use this list

Check your pay stub against the new rate in the first pay period that includes Jan. 1, 2027. Mark the date on a January 2027 calendar or a yearly calendar, and keep the printable near your payroll papers. Related 2027 figures are in the 2027 IRS tax brackets and retirement limits and the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.