68 Cities, Counties, and States Will Raise Minimum Wages on January 1, With 26 More Lifting Pay Later in 2026
Summary of Wage Increases in 2026 As affordability challenges grow, NELP supports 2026 wage increases that move us toward a good-jobs economy, rooted in living wages for all. On January 1, 2026 , the minimum wage will increase in 19 states and 49 cities and counties. In 60 of those jurisdictions, the wage floor will reach or exceed $15.00 per hour for some or all employers, including 3 states and 40 localities where the wage floor will reach or exceed $17.00 per hour for some or all employers. Later in 2026 , 4 states and 22 local jurisdictions will likewise lift their wage floors—25 of them to $15.00 or more for some or all employers, including 1 state and 17 localities 1 which will reach or exceed a $17.00 minimum wage for some or all employers. In total , 88 jurisdictions (22 states and 66 cities and counties) will raise their minimum wage floors by the end of 2026. 2 Of those, 79 jurisdictions (14 states and 65 cities and counties) will reach or exceed a $15...