What is the minimum wage?

The minimum wage is the starting hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour (part of the Fair Labor Standards Act). Some states and cities have raised their minimum wage higher than that. In most instances, the higher of the prevailing minimum wage requirements is binding for employers.

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Minimum Wage in the U.S.

Select your state to learn more about the standard minimum wage and the tipped wage in your state.

Fed. Min. Wage Fed. Tipped Wage
$7.25 $2.13

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March 10, 2023

New Data: One Flat Wage States See Lower Tips

Proponents of eliminating state tip credits mislead workers and lawmakers by arguing that doing so won’t hurt their tips. New data from point-of-sale tech giant Toast tells a different…
March 3, 2023

Maryland’s Anti-Tip Credit Bill Is A “Bad Economic Deal” for Tipped Workers

This week, the Maryland Senate Finance Committee heard public testimony regarding SB 803, which would eliminate Maryland’s tip credit and raise the hourly base wage for tipped restaurant workers by…
February 17, 2023

Maryland Is The Next Target for Unprecedented Wage Hikes

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is leading the charge to accelerate raising the state’s minimum wage, claiming he wants it to increase when inflation does throughout his campaign. But…
February 10, 2023

After pushing for tip credit elimination, Biden wants to increase taxes on tipped workers

In his state of the union address this week, President Joe Biden doubled down on a mantra that no one earning less than $400,000 a year would pay new taxes.