In 60 seconds: Minimum wage in 2026 looks wildly different depending on which side of which border you're on: Washington state pays $17.13 an hour, Washington D.C. tops the U.S. federal table at $18.40, Nunavut leads Canada at C$20.17, and Australia sets a single national floor of A$26.44 an hour — about US$18.56. This guide lays out every U.S. state, every Canadian province and territory, and Australia's system, with USD equivalents, the agencies behind the numbers, and the quirks the headline figures don't show.
- United States: the federal floor is still $7.25 — unchanged since 2009 — but 30 states plus D.C. set higher rates. Washington's $17.13 is the highest state; D.C.'s $18.40 tops the federal table.
- Canada: every province and territory sets its own rate. Nunavut's C$20.17 leads; Alberta's C$15.00 trails. Most adjust annually for inflation.
- Australia: one national minimum — A$26.44 an hour (A$1,004.90 a week) since July 1, 2026 — reviewed every year. Most workers are actually covered by higher industry award rates.
- In U.S. dollars (October 2026 mid-market rates), Australia's floor is the highest of the three at roughly $18.56 an hour.
- The poster number isn't always your number: cities can set higher local rates, some occupations are exempt, and Australia's award system means most workers earn above the national floor.
"What's the minimum wage?" sounds like a one-number question. In the U.S., Canada, and Australia, it's a spreadsheet — three of them, actually, built on three totally different philosophies. America layers federal, state, and city rules on top of each other. Canada hands the job to its provinces and territories. Australia sets one national number and revisits it every single year. If you're comparing job offers across borders, negotiating pay, or just wondering why the number on the poster never matches your paycheck, here's the full 2026 picture — every jurisdiction, in local currency and U.S. dollars, with the rules behind the numbers.
How the three systems actually work
United States — three layers. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and it hasn't moved since 2009. States can set higher rates — and 30 of them plus the District of Columbia do. Where rates differ, employers must pay the highest applicable one: federal, state, or local. Some cities set minimums above their state's. The U.S. Department of Labor's consolidated table (effective July 1, 2026) is the authoritative snapshot, and most state increases land around January 1 each year.
Canada — provincial, not national. Each province and territory sets its own legal minimum hourly wage — the number most workers are actually paid under. The Retail Council of Canada tracks all 13. Most provinces adjust annually, typically on April 1 or October 1, tied to inflation.
Australia — one national number, reviewed yearly. The Fair Work Commission runs an annual wage review, and the National Minimum Wage that results applies to employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. As of July 1, 2026, it's A$26.44 an hour. Here's the twist most coverage skips: most Australian employees are covered by industry awards that set higher minimums — the national figure is the floor beneath the floor.
United States: the 2026 numbers
Thirty states plus the District of Columbia — and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — set minimums above the $7.25 federal floor. Here they are, per the Department of Labor's table effective July 1, 2026:
| State / jurisdiction | 2026 minimum wage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $18.40 | Highest on the federal table |
| Washington | $17.13 | Highest of any state |
| New York | $17.00 / $16.00 | $17 in NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester; $16 elsewhere |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | |
| California | $16.90 | |
| Oregon | $16.80 / $15.55 / $14.55 | Portland metro / standard / nonurban counties |
| Hawaii | $16.00 | |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | |
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $15.23 for small/seasonal employers |
| Colorado | $15.16 | |
| Arizona | $15.15 | |
| Maine | $15.10 | |
| Delaware | $15.00 | |
| Illinois | $15.00 | |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | |
| Maryland | $15.00 | |
| Missouri | $15.00 | |
| Nebraska | $15.00 | |
| Vermont | $14.42 | |
| Alaska | $14.00 | |
| Florida | $14.00 | |
| Michigan | $13.73 | |
| Virginia | $12.77 | |
| New Mexico | $12.00 | |
| Nevada | $12.00 | |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | |
| Minnesota | $11.41 | |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $7.25 for small employers |
| Montana | $10.85 | |
| Puerto Rico | $10.50 | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $10.50 | |
| Guam | $9.25 | |
| West Virginia | $8.75 |
The rest of the map: 13 states sit exactly at the federal $7.25 — Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. Seven states have no minimum wage law of their own, or one below the federal line — Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming — but employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must still pay the federal $7.25 there.
Canada: the 2026 numbers
All 13 provinces and territories, tracked by the Retail Council of Canada. The USD column uses October 2026 mid-market rates (about C$1 = US$0.71) — approximate, for comparison only:
| Province / territory | Minimum wage | ≈ in USD | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nunavut | C$20.17 | ≈ $14.40 | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Yukon | C$18.51 | ≈ $13.22 | Apr 1, 2026 |
| British Columbia | C$18.25 | ≈ $13.03 | Jun 1, 2026 |
| Ontario | C$17.95 | ≈ $12.82 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Prince Edward Island | C$17.30 | ≈ $12.35 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Northwest Territories | C$17.20 | ≈ $12.28 | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Nova Scotia | C$17.00 | ≈ $12.14 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Quebec | C$16.60 | ≈ $11.85 | May 1, 2026 |
| Manitoba | C$16.40 | ≈ $11.71 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | C$16.35 | ≈ $11.67 | Apr 1, 2026 |
| New Brunswick | C$15.90 | ≈ $11.35 | Apr 1, 2026 |
| Saskatchewan | C$15.70 | ≈ $11.21 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Alberta | C$15.00 | ≈ $10.71 | Oct 1, 2018 |
Two things jump out. First, the northern territories top the chart — Nunavut's C$20.17 reflects the brutal cost of living in the Arctic, not generosity. Second, look at Alberta: C$15.00, unchanged since October 2018. Eight years without a raise, while every other jurisdiction moved. That's the outlier on the map.
Australia: one number, reviewed every year
Australia keeps it simple at the national level. The Fair Work Commission's annual wage review set the National Minimum Wage at A$26.44 an hour — A$1,004.90 a week — effective from the first full pay period on or after July 1, 2026. In U.S. dollars that's roughly $18.56 an hour at October 2026 mid-market rates (about A$1 = US$0.70) — the highest floor of the three countries.
But that number covers only employees not under an award or registered agreement. Most Australian workers are covered by industry awards — hospitality, retail, construction, healthcare — and those set their own, usually higher, minimums plus penalty rates and allowances. The Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool is the official way to find the rate that actually applies to a given job.
The three systems side by side
| United States | Canada | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest 2026 rate | $18.40/hr (D.C.); $17.13 highest state (WA) | C$20.17/hr (Nunavut) | A$26.44/hr (national) |
| ≈ in U.S. dollars | $18.40 / $17.13 | ≈ $14.40 | ≈ $18.56 |
| Who sets it | Congress (federal) + state legislatures (+ cities) | Provincial/territorial governments | Fair Work Commission |
| Lowest legal floor | $7.25 (federal, since 2009) | C$15.00 (Alberta) | A$26.44 (national) |
| Review cycle | Mostly Jan 1 (states); federal irregular | Mostly Apr 1 / Oct 1 | Every July 1 |
What the headline numbers don't tell you
A minimum-wage table is a starting point, not a pay stub. A few things worth knowing before you quote any of these numbers:
Cities can beat states. The U.S. table above is state-level, but the Labor Department notes that some local governments set higher rates — Seattle, San Francisco, and New York City all sit well above their state floors. Always check the city, not just the state.
Exemptions exist. U.S. wage law exempts certain occupations and industries, and some states set lower rates for minors, students, or new hires in training. The federal table doesn't capture those carve-outs — the relevant state labor office does.
Australia's awards usually pay more. If you're comparing the A$26.44 national figure to a U.S. or Canadian rate, remember it's the absolute floor. A barista in Sydney or a retail worker in Melbourne is almost certainly covered by an award paying above it.
Rates move on different clocks. U.S. state increases mostly land in January, Canadian changes cluster around April and October, Australia's resets every July. A number that's right today can be stale by next quarter — bookmark the official sources below rather than a screenshot.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice — minimum-wage rules have exemptions and edge cases, and the official sources below are the final word.
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Frequently asked questions
Which U.S. state has the highest minimum wage in 2026?
Washington, at $17.13 an hour. Washington D.C. is higher at $18.40, but it's a federal district, not a state. The federal floor remains $7.25, unchanged since 2009.
Which Canadian province has the highest minimum wage?
British Columbia leads the provinces at C$18.25 an hour (effective June 1, 2026). The territories pay more — Nunavut tops the country at C$20.17 — reflecting the far higher cost of living in the North.
Is Australia's minimum wage really A$26.44 an hour?
Yes — that's the National Minimum Wage since July 1, 2026 (A$1,004.90 a week). But most Australian workers are covered by industry awards that set higher rates, so treat it as the floor, not the typical paycheck.
How often do minimum wages change?
U.S. state rates mostly adjust around January 1; Canadian provinces typically move on April 1 or October 1; Australia's resets every July 1 after the Fair Work Commission's annual review. We'll re-verify every figure in this guide in October 2027.