I spent the last few weeks putting together a free, open dataset of 2026 minimum wage rates for all 50 US states, and I wanted to share how it came about and what is inside it.
Why I built it
Minimum wage changes every year, and a lot of states have their own rates that are higher than the federal floor. But finding a single, clean list of current rates is harder than it should be. I wanted to build something simple that helps workers quickly check what the minimum wage is in their state, and helps anyone doing research have a clean dataset to start from. It lives as part of PayDecode, my project around making pay and compensation information easier to understand.
How the data was collected
I went through state labor department and official state government sources for each of the 50 states, one by one. For each state I recorded the 2026 hourly minimum wage and the date it takes effect. Where a state uses the federal minimum, that is reflected too. I focused on official sources only, so the numbers match what the states themselves publish.
What's in the dataset
The dataset covers all 50 states with:
- State names
- 2026 hourly minimum wage rates
- Effective dates for each rate
- Notes where special cases apply (for example, states tied to the federal rate)
Everything is organized as a simple reference table so you can scan or search it easily.
Where to find it
The full guide and dataset live on the PayDecode site:
- Full guide: https://paydecode.com/minimum-wage/
- PayDecode home: https://paydecode.com/
It is free to use. If you spot something that needs updating or want to suggest an improvement, let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
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