The minimum wage will rise in a number of states next year. Unless otherwise noted, the following minimum wage rates (per hour) are scheduled to become effective on January 1, 2016:
- Alaska: $9.75
- Arkansas: $8.00
- California: $10.00
- Colorado: $8.31 ($5.29 for tipped employees)–proposed
- Connecticut: $9.60
- District of Columbia: $11.50, beginning July 1, 2016
- Hawaii: $8.50
- Maryland: $8.75, beginning July 1, 2016
- Massachusetts: $10.00 ($3.35 for tipped employees)
- Michigan: $8.50 ($3.23 for tipped employees)
- Minnesota: $9.50, beginning August 1, 2016 ($7.75 for employers with annual gross volume of sales less than $500,000)
- Nebraska: $9.00
- New York: $9.00, beginning December 31, 2015 ($7.50 for tipped workers in the hospitality industry; $9.75 for fast food employees outside of NYC; $10.50 for fast food employees within NYC)
- Rhode Island: $9.60 ($3.39 for tipped employees)
- South Dakota: $8.55 ($4.28 for tipped employees)
- Vermont: $9.60 ($4.80 for certain service or tipped employees)
- West Virginia: $8.75, after January 1, 2016
Be sure to comply with any city or other local wage requirements (which may be higher than the state or federal minimum wage) that may apply to your business. For more information on state minimum wage laws, including poster requirements, please visit our State Laws section within the Client Resource Center HR Library, click on your state, and select “Minimum Wage” in the left-hand navigation menu.
