The federal minimum wage is $7.25, but many states set their own minimum wage. 

Answer:

• Highest: Washington at $17.13/hour (if Washington, D.C. were a state, it would have the highest at $18.40/hour)
• Lowest: Georgia and Wyoming at $5.15/hour (most workers default to the federal minimum wage of $7.25)

Questions:

• What types of jobs typically earn the minimum wage?
• The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 and was last raised in 2009. Why do you think that so many states have minimums higher than the current federal rate?
• What are some arguments for/against raising the minimum wage?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Paycor): 

• Thirty states and Washington, D.C. have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
• Five states have not adopted a state minimum wage: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Georgia and Wyoming list a $5.15 minimum wage, but it only applies to employers not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. In all seven of these states, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies to most workers.
• Some cities set their own minimum wage even higher than their state. The highest local minimum wage in the country is in Tukwila, Washington, at $21.65 per hour.
• July 2026 marked 17 years since the federal minimum wage last increased, the longest stretch without a raise since the minimum wage was created in 1938.

Washington, D.C. rate: D.C. Department of Employment Services

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Learn more about the federal minimum wage with NGPF's On-Demand Module: $7.25 - The Minimum Wage

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.