2019 Minimum Wage Changes in the United States
Across the US, states are raising their minimum wage laws every month. If it’s been hard for you to stay on top of the changes, check out this updated list.
This year, several minimum wage increases are set to occur across the United States and your company might be affected. In total, 26 states, the District of Columbia, and 46 other localities were impacted by these changes and for many this is just the first of several increases that are scheduled to happen each following year. As several of these changes have already occurred for 2019, your company will want to review your current non-exempt employee’s hourly wage and make adjustments accordingly. You can find a review of these changes in our tables below.
January 1, 2019 Minimum Wage Updates
| Location | Previous | Jan 1, 2019 | Jan 1, 2020 |
| Alaska | $9.84 | $9.89 | N/A* |
| Arizona | $10.50 | $11.00 | $12.00 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $11.00 | $12.00 | $13.00 |
| Arkansas | $8.50 | $9.25 | $10.00 |
| California | $11.00 | $12.00 | $13.00 |
| Belmond, CA | $12.50 | $13.50 | $15.00 |
| Cupertino, CA | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| Daly City, CA | $10.50 | $12.00 | $13.75 |
| El Cerrito, CA | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| Los Altos, CA | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| Mountain View, CA | $15.00 | $15.65 | N/A* |
| Oakland, CA | $13.23 | $13.80 | N/A* |
| Palo Alto, CA | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| Redwood City, CA | $11.50 | $13.50 | $15.00 |
| Richmond,CA | $13.41 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| San Diego, CA | $11.50 | $12.00 | N/A* |
| San Jose, CA | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| San Mateo,CA (For-Profits) | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| San Mateo, CA (Nonprofits) | $12.00 | $13.50 | N/A* |
| Santa Clara, CA | $13.00 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $15.00 | $15.65 | N/A* |
| Colorado | $10.20 | $11.10 | $12.00 |
| Florida | $8.25 | $8.46 | N/A* |
| Illinois | $8.25 | $8.25 | $9.25 |
| Maine | $10.00 | $11.00 | $12.00 |
| Maryland | $10.10 | $10.10 | $11.00 |
| Massachusetts | $11.00 | $12.00 | $12.75 |
| Michigan | $9.25 | $9.45 | $9.65 |
| Minnesota | $9.65 | $9.86 | N/A* |
| Missouri | $7.85 | $8.60 | $9.45 |
| Montana | $8.30 | $8.50 | N/A* |
| New Jersey
*See also July 1st updates* |
$8.60 | $8.85 | $11.00 |
| New Mexico | $7.50 | $7.50 | $9.00 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $7.95 | $9.20 | N/A* |
| Bernalillo County, NM | $8.85 | $9.05 | N/A* |
| Las Cruces, NM | $9.20 | $10.10 | N/A* |
| Sante Fe County, NM | $11.40 | $11.80 | N/A* |
| Ohio | $8.30 | $8.55 | N/A* |
| Rhode Island | $10.10 | $10.50 | N/A* |
| South Dakota | $8.65 | $9.10 | N/A* |
| Vermont | $10.50 | $10.78 | N/A* |
| Washington | $11.50 | $12.00 | $13.50 |
| Seattle, WA
Employers with 500 or more employees in the U.S that pay towards individual employee’s medical benefits. |
$15.00 | $16.00 | N/A* |
| Seattle, WA
Employers with 500 or more employees in the U.S. that do not pay towards individual employee’s medical benefits. |
$15.45 | $16.00 | N/A* |
| Tacoma, WA | $12.00 | $12.35 | N/A* |
January 1, 2019 Small Business Minimum Wage Updates
Several of these locations have set a different minimum wage for smaller businesses.
| Location | Previous | Jan 1, 2019 | Jan 1, 2020 |
| Arkansas
Employers with 3 or fewer employees |
Federal Minimum Wage | ||
| California
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$10.50 | $11.00 | $12.00 |
| Illinois
Employers with 3 or fewer employees |
Federal Minimum Wage | ||
| Maryland
Employers with 14 or fewer employees |
$9.25 | $10.10 | $11.00 |
| Minnesota
Employers annual gross revenues are less than $500,000 |
N/A | $8.04 | N/A* |
| New Jersey
Employers with 5 or fewer employees |
$8.85 | $8.85 | $10.30 |
| Seattle, WA
Employers with 500 or fewer employees in the U.S. Employer pays towards individual employee’s medical benefits. |
$11.50 | $12.00 | $13.50 |
| Seattle, WA
Employers with 500 or fewer employees in the U.S and the employer does not pay towards individual employee’s medical benefits. |
$14.00 | $15.00 | $15.75 |
March 1, 2019 Minimum Wage Updates
| Location | Previous | July 1, 2019 | July 1, 2020 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $11.40 | $11.80 | N/A* |
July 1, 2019 Minimum Wage Updates
| Location | Previous | July 1, 2019 | July 1, 2020 |
| Alameda, CA | $11.00 | 13.50 | $15.00 |
| Emeryville, CA | $15.69 | $16.30 | $16.42 |
| Fremont, CA | $12.00 | $13.50 | $15.00 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | $13.25 | $14.25 | $15.00 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $13.25 | $14.25 | $15.00 |
| Malibu, CA | $13.25 | $14.25 | N/A* |
| Milpitas, CA | $13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
| Pasadena, CA | $13.25 | $14.25 | $15.00 |
| San Francisco, CA | $15.00 | $15.59 | N/A* |
| San Leandro, CA | $13.00 | $14.00 | $15.00 |
| Santa Monica, CA | $13.25 | $14.25 | $15.00 |
| District of Columbia | $13.25 | $14.00 | $15.00 |
| Illinois | **See January 1st updates | $10.00 | |
| Chicago, IL | $12.00 | $13.00 | N/A* |
| Cook County, IL | $11.00 | $12.00 | $13.00 |
| Montgomery County, MD | $12.25 | $13.00 | N/A* |
| Portland, ME | $11.00 | $11.10 | N/A* |
| Minneapolis, MN | $11.25 | $12.25 | $13.25 |
| Nevada | $8.85 | N/A* | N/A* |
| New Jersey | **See Jan 1st updates | $10.00 | **See Jan 1st updates |
| Oregon
Non-Rural Counties |
$10.75 | $11.25 | $12.00 |
| Oregon
Rural Counties |
$10.50 | $11.00 | $11.50 |
| Portland Metro Area, OR | $12.00 | $12.50 | $13.25st paul |
July 1, 2019 Small Business Minimum Wage Updates
Several of these locations have set a different minimum wage for smaller businesses.
| Location | Previous | July 1, 2019 | July 1, 2020 |
| Alameda, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$10.30 | $13.50 | $15.00 |
| Emeryville, CA
Employers with 55 or fewer employees |
$15.00 | $16.00 | $16.42 |
| Freemont, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$11.00 | Increases to $15.00 in 2021 | |
| Los Angeles County, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$12.00 | $13.25 | $14.25 |
| Los Angeles, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$12.00 | $13.25 | $14.25 |
| Malibu, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$12.00 | $13.25 | $14.25 |
| Pasadena, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$12.00 | $13.25 | $14.25 |
| Santa Monica, CA
Employers with 25 or fewer employees |
$12.00 | $13.25 | $14.25 |
| Chicago, IL
Employers with 3 or fewer employees |
Federal Minimum Wage | ||
| Cook County, IL
Employers with 3 or fewer employees |
Federal Minimum Wage | ||
| Montgomery County, MD
Employers with 10 or fewer employees |
$12.00 | $12.50 | $13.00 |
| Montgomery County, MD
Employers with 11-50 employees |
$12.00 | $12.50 | $13.25 |
| Montgomery County, MD
Employers with 51 or more employees |
$12.25 | $13.00 | $14.00 |
| Minneapolis, MN
Employers with 100 or fewer employees |
$10.25 | $11.00 | $11.75 |
| St. Paul, MN
Employers with 6 or fewer employees |
N/A | N/A | $9.25 |
| St. Paul, MN
Employers with 6-100 employees |
N/A | N/A | $10.00 |
| St. Paul, MN
Employers with 100-10,000 employees |
N/A | N/A | $11.50 |
| St. Paul, MN
Employers with 10,001 or more employees |
N/A | N/A | $12.50 |
October 1, 2019 Minimum Wage Updates
| Location | Previous | Oct 1, 2019 | Oct 1, 2020 |
| Delaware | $8.25 | $9.25 | $9.75 |
December 31, 2019 Minimum Wage Updates
| Location | Previous | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2020 |
| New York | $11.10 | $11.80 | $12.50 |
| New York
Fast Food Employees |
$12.75 | $13.75 | $14.50 |
| New York City, NY
Employers with 11 or more employees |
$15.00 | N/A* | N/A* |
| New York City, NY
Fast Food Employees |
$15.00 | N/A* | N/A* |
| Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, NY | $12.00 | $13.00 | $14.00 |
| Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, NY Fast Food Employees |
$12.75 | $13.75 | N/A* |
December 31, 2019 Small Business Minimum Wage Updates
Location
| Location | Previous | Oct 1, 2019 | Oct 1, 2020 |
| New York City, NY
Employers with 10 or fewer employees |
$13.50 | $15.00 | N/A* |
* These locations have yet to state what the upcoming minimum wage will be in 2020.
How can you stay on top of minimum wage changes?
In order for your company to remain compliant with these increases, you will want to frequently review the minimum wage updates in your company’s varying work locations and adjust employee’s hourly wage if needed.
Need help determining what to pay your non-exempt hourly employees? Our Advisory Team can help!
This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to provide legal, regulatory, accounting, or tax advice. This article also does not reflect changes made after it’s publishing date, 4/18/19.
