(NewsNation) — The federal minimum wage hasn’t changed since 2009, but voters in several states will have the chance to raise hourly wages at the state level in November.
Voters in Alaska, California and Missouri will decide whether to increase their state’s minimum wage.
If history is any indicator, those efforts are likely to be successful. From 1996 to 2022, voters approved 26 of the 28 minimum wage increase measures on the ballot, according to Ballotopedia.
Meanwhile, ballot measures in Massachusetts and Arizona would affect wages for tipped workers. In Arizona, the initiative would allow employers to pay tipped workers less, whereas in Massachusetts, tipped workers would see their hourly minimum wage rise from $6.75 an hour to $15 an hour over five years.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have also weighed in on tipped wages, both promising to end federal taxes on tips.
Minimum wage by the numbers
- The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has not changed since 2009.
- Currently, 34 states, territories and districts have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- The average state minimum wage in 2024 is $10.69, up from $9.85 in 2022, according to Ballotpedia
Here’s what to know about the minimum wage ballot questions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Massachusetts and Missouri.
Alaska
Current minimum wage: $11.73/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
On the November ballot: Ballot Measure 1
What would it do?
- Increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by July 1, 2027
- After that, the rate would be adjusted each year for inflation
- It would also require employers to provide paid sick leave
- Up to 56 hours per year for employers with 15 employees or more
- Up to 40 hours per year for employers with fewer than 15 employees
- Protect employees who refuse to attend employer-sponsored meetings regarding religious or political matters
What happened last time?
In 2014, Alaska voters passed a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage and adjust it each year for inflation. The measure passed with nearly 70% of the vote.
California
Current minimum wage: $16/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
- Roughly 40 cities have higher local minimum wages
- Most fast-food workers make at least $20 an hour as of April
On the November ballot: Proposition 32
What would it do?
- Raise the minimum wage to $18 an hour for all employees by 2026
- The minimum wage would go up with inflation every year starting in 2027
- If approved, California would have the highest state minimum wage in the country
What happened last time?
In 2016, the California legislature passed Senate Bill 3, which gradually raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022.
Missouri
Current minimum wage: $12.30/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
- Tipped employees: At least 50% of the general minimum wage ($6.15/hour), plus any amount necessary to bring their total pay to $12.30 an hour
On the November ballot: Proposition A
What would it do?
- Increase the general minimum wage each year to $15 per hour by 2026
- This would also raise the tipped minimum wage as the same 50% rule applies
- Adjust minimum wage based on inflation every January starting in 2027
- Require employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked
- Government and educational employers would be exempt
What happened last time?
- In 2018, Missouri voters approved Proposition B, which increased the state’s minimum wage to $12 by 2023. Voters approved the initiative with 62% of the tally.
Ballot measures for tipped minimum wage
Voters in two states will decide whether to change minimum wage rules specifically for tipped workers.
Arizona
Current minimum wage: $14.35/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
- Tipped employees: Cannot be paid more than $3 less than the minimum wage ($11.35/hour)
On the November ballot: Proposition 138
What would it do?
- Allow employers to pay tipped employees up to 25% less than the minimum wage
- This applies only if the employer can prove the employee ultimately received the minimum wage plus $2 for every hour worked.
- If enacted, the offset for tipped workers would increase from $3.00 to $3.69 in 2025, according to the Common Sense Institute
What happened last time?
- In 2016, Arizona voters approved Proposition 206, which raised the minimum wage to $10 in 2017, and then gradually to $12 by 2020. The initiative passed with 58% of the vote.
Massachusetts
Current minimum wage: $15/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2023)
- Does not change based on inflation
- Tipped employees: $6.75/hour
Ballot question: Question 5
What would it do?
- Gradually increase the tipped minimum wage to match the general minimum wage by Jan. 1, 2029
- Employers would be required to pay tipped workers the difference between the state minimum wage and the total amount a tipped worker receives in hourly wages plus tips
- That goes away Jan. 1, 2029
- Employers who pay the state minimum wage could create a “tip pool” and divide customers’ tips among all the workers, even non-tipped employees
What happened last time?
- State lawmakers passed a bill in 2018 to raise the minimum wage from $11 an hour to $15 an hour by 2023.
