Summer 2026 Minimum Wages & Compliance Changes

Below is a summary of wage increases and compliance requirements that took effect recently or will take effect soon.

Compliance updates

State and local updates

Alaska
Illinois
Indiana
Maine

Maryland
Minnesota
Nebraska
New Jersey

New York
Virginia
Washington

Minimum hourly wage increases

The minimum wages and effective dates below are not exhaustive. There may be additional state and local jurisdictions that have scheduled increases or additional employees (EEs) that are impacted.

Check the government sites that apply to your jurisdiction over the upcoming months to help ensure compliance with changing minimum wage rates and their effective dates.

State and local minimum hourly wage increases
JULY 1, 2026
ALASKA	$14.00
CALIFORNIA	Hospital or integrated health system with 10,000 or more full-time employees (including skilled nursing facilities operated by these employers): $25 Dialysis clinics: $25 Covered healthcare facilities run by large counties: $25 Safety net hospitals: $19.28 Covered small-county-run healthcare facilities: $19.28 Covered medium-sized county-run healthcare facilities: $23 Intermittent clinics, community clinics, rural health clinics, or urgent care clinics associated with community or rural health clinics: $22 All other covered health care facilities not listed in the other categories and not run by counties: $23
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	$18.40
OREGON	$14.55 (non-urban counties) $15.55 (other counties except Metro Portland) $16.80 (Metro Portland)
SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
FLORIDA	$15.00
Local hourly wage increases
JULY 1, 2026
ALAMEDA CITY, CA	$17.76 (An employee who performs at least two hours of work in a particular workweek within the geographic boundaries of the City of Alameda)
BERKELEY, CA	$19.61
EMERYVILLE, CA	$20.34
FREMONT, CA	$18.05
GLENDALE, CA (Hotel workers)	$25.00
LONG BEACH, CA (Hotel workers)	$26.50
LONG BEACH, CA (Concessionaire workers)	$26.50 (plus $4.25 towards health benefits)
LOS ANGELES (CITY), CA	$18.42
LOS ANGELES (CITY), CA (Airport workers)	$25.00 plus at least $7.65 per hour toward health benefits. $32.65 if the employer doesn’t provide health benefits.
LOS ANGELES (CITY), CA (Hotel workers)	$25.00 plus at least $4.25 per hour toward health benefits. $29.25 if the employer doesn’t provide health benefits.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Unincorporated County)	$18.47
MALIBU, CA	$17.91
MILPITAS, CA	$18.50
PASADENA, CA	$18.57
SAN DIEGO, CA (Hotels and amusement parks)	$19.00
SAN DIEGO, CA (Event centers)	$21.06
SAN FRANCISCO, CA	$19.61
SANTA MONICA, CA	$18.47
SANTA MONICA, CA (Hotel employees)	$25.00
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hotel employees)	$20.87
CHICAGO, IL (Four or more EEs)	$17.05
COOK COUNTY, IL	$15.40
HOWARD COUNTY, MD (14 or fewer employees)	$16.00
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD (51 or more EEs)	$18.00
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD (11 to 50 EEs)	$16.50
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD (10 or fewer EEs)	$15.95
ST. PAUL, MN (Six to 100 EEs)	$16.37
ST. PAUL, MN (Five or fewer EEs)	$14.25
EVERETT, WA (15 to 500 EEs worldwide or fewer than 15 EEs with more than $2 million in gross revenue)	$19.77
RENTON, WA 15 or more EEs (regardless of where those employees are employed), or has an annual gross revenue of over $2 million.	$21.57

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Compliance updates

The compliance updates and their effective dates below are not exhaustive. There may be other state and local jurisdictions that have additional laws and regulations. Check the government sites that apply to your jurisdiction over the upcoming months to help ensure compliance with changing laws.

		Federal
			JULY 31, 2026 Employers using an electronic version of the Form I-9 must update their systems. Employers using an electronic version of Form I-9 must update their systems with the version that has the expiration date of 05/31/2027 by July 31, 2026.
		State and local updates
		ALASKA	JULY 1, 2026 Alaska allows use of payroll cards. Alaska employers are allowed to use payroll cards to pay employee wages.
		ILLINOIS	JUNE 1, 2026 Illinois requires certain employers to provide NICU leave. Illinois requires covered employers to provide unpaid leave to employees when their child is a patient in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Chicago amends rules for ‘Fair Workweek Ordinance’. Chicago has clarified and defined aspects of the ordinance, such as scheduling requirements, predictability pay, advance notice, offering extra hours, and more. Chicago amends rules for paid leave and paid sick leave ordinance. The new rules clarify and define various aspects of the ordinance, including accrual, use, pay during leave, discipline for misuse, and more. JULY 1, 2026 Chicago delays phaseout of tip credit. The Chicago City Council has voted to delay the planned phaseout of the tip credit for two years. The minimum cash wage for tipped employees will remain $12.96 per hour until the next scheduled increase on July 1, 2028.
		INDIANA	JULY 1, 2026 Indiana amends its Employment-Eligibility-Verification Law. Indiana expressly prohibits employers from knowingly or intentionally recruiting, hiring, or continuing to employ an individual who is unauthorized to work and establishes certain protections for employers that engage in “reasonable diligence” to verify new hires are authorized to work. Indiana repeals registration requirement for employing minors. Illinois has repealed a law requiring employers to register with the Indiana Department of Labor when they employ five or more minors.
		MAINE	MAY 1, 2026 Maine employees may use the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program. Maine employers must begin providing paid family and medical leave for covered reasons. JULY 29, 2026 Maine requires pay disclosure in job postings. Maine generally requires employers with 10 or more employees to ensure that job postings include a statement that lists the prospective pay range the employer will offer a successful applicant. Covered employers must also provide an employee’s pay range upon request. Maine amends workplace drug-testing rules. Maine has amended its state rules governing workplace substance-use testing programs. Maine adds requirements for violators of its employment laws. Maine requires employers to notify employees if they are found in violation of Title 26, Chapter 7 of the Maine Revised Statutes, which contains provisions relating to pay, hours, recordkeeping, workplace postings, access to personnel files, leave, breaks, and other areas of employment law. Maine restricts employers’ surveillance of employees. Maine has banned employers from using employer surveillance unless they provide a written notice and furnish the notice to current employees at least once per calendar year.
		MARYLAND	JUNE 1, 2026 Maryland prohibits certain supervisor-employee committees and adds penalties for youth labor violations. Maryland prohibits employers from allowing the formation of certain supervisor-employee committees in the workplace and gives the state’s Labor Commissioner the authority to impose penalties on employers that violate state rules governing the employment of minors.
		MINNESOTA	May 19, 2026 Minnesota has clarified that refusing to engage in the accommodation process may be discriminatory. The Minnesota Human Rights Act's public policy statement is amended to make clear that when an employer fails to engage in the process to determine whether a reasonable accommodation exists, that failure may be treated as an unfair discriminatory practice.
		NEBRASKA	July 18, 2026 Nebraska amends language support requirements. Nebraska has strengthened the language support services that an employer must provide.
		NEW JERSEY	JULY 17, 2026 New Jersey amends the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). New Jersey has expanded NJFLA employer coverage to employers that currently (or have in the preceding year) employed 15 or more employees.
		NEW YORK	July 23, 2026 New York City finalizes amended Earned Sick and Safe Time Rules. New York City has finalized amendments to its Earned Sick and Safe Time Act to include many previously proposed rules and incorporate new administrative and recordkeeping requirements.
		VIRGINIA	JULY 1, 2026 Virginia expands RetirePath. Virginia has expanded the number of employers that may be required to participate in the Virginia RetirePath program. Virginia expands wage and overtime requirements. Virginia has clarified the definition of wages, amended overtime and recordkeeping requirements and extended protections for violations of certain laws. Virginia prohibits salary history inquiries and requires pay transparency. Virginia has banned employers from asking about a prospective employee’s salary history and requires an employer to provide a good-faith wage or salary range in its internal and external job postings. Virginia extends child labor laws. Virginia has extended and clarified its child labor laws. Virginia expands its Human Rights Act. Virginia has increased the number of employers covered under the Virginia Human Rights Act and expanded worker nondiscrimination protections. Virginia restricts firearm storage in employer lots. Virginia requires secure vehicular storage of handguns in certain employment areas.
		WASHINGTON	JUNE 11, 2026 Washington prohibits mandatory employee microchipping. Washington state prohibits employers from requiring an employee or applicant to be microchipped. JULY 1, 2026 WA CARES begins. Washington state's long-term care benefits program began on July 1, 2026. Washington expands work hours for minors in an approved career and technical education program. The state of Washington has provided employers greater scheduling flexibility for certain minor workers. Washington increases child labor protections. The state of Washington has added child labor protections, including increased employer penalties and the revocation of work permits under certain circumstances. Washington expands employee protections under Fair Chance Act. Washington state has banned employers from inquiring about criminal records before extending a conditional job offer and taking a tangible adverse employment action based on certain applicant and employee records.