Guide
How minimum wage indexing works
Why many minimum wages now change every year, which index they follow, and when the new amount is announced.
A growing number of states and cities tie their minimum wage to inflation. Each year the labor agency applies the change in a consumer price index (usually CPI-W or CPI-U for a defined region and period) to the current rate, rounds by rule, and publishes the new amount, typically in the fall for a January 1 change or in the spring for a July 1 change. Some laws cap the annual increase or floor it at zero so the wage never falls.
Because the amount depends on data that does not exist yet, an indexed rate is unknown until the agency announces it. This site lists the effective date for every indexed jurisdiction and adds the amount only when it is official; nothing here is an estimate.
Common questions
When are indexed minimum wage amounts announced?
Most states that adjust on January 1 announce in September or October; jurisdictions that adjust on July 1 typically announce in the spring. Each state page gives the agency's schedule where it is published.
Can an indexed minimum wage go down?
Most indexing laws either floor the change at zero or only provide for increases; a few allow no change in a deflationary year. The state page notes the rule where the statute states it.