21 states kicked the year off by raising the minimum wage

To millions of Americans, January 1 meant a sore head, devising and revising resolutions, and maybe trying to make the most of a day off. For millions of others, it meant a New Year’s pay bump.

Welcome to the new wage…

According to figures from the National Employment Law Project, lawmakers across 21 states and 48 cities and counties marked the first day of the year by raising their minimum-wage floors, with 55 of those jurisdictions hiking pay rates to meet or exceed the $15 an hour that advocates have long set their sights on. Later in 2025, Florida and Oregon are set to join the list of states raising minimum hourly wages for workers, as legislators try to bump compensation for America’s lowest-paid employees after years of inflation.

So where can minimum-wage workers already expect a new boost to their pay packets for January, and by how much?

Workers in Delaware are going to see the biggest change in their wages this year, with the minimum wage increasing by $1.75 an hour, from $13.25 to $15, while people earning minimum wage in Nebraska and Missouri can expect their hourly rates to rise by $1.50 and $1.45, respectively.

According to analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, reported by Business Insider, pay rises across the states will directly affect over 3 million workers in America. A further 6 million, who get paid within 15% of the new minimum-wage floors, might also enjoy the knock-on effects from the improved rates, the Institute said.