How We Source & Update This Data
Last full verification: 2026-09-09 · Next: within 30 days (and always before Jan 1 / Jul 1 effective-date waves)
Where the numbers come from
| Layer | Primary source | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | U.S. Dept. of Labor | Fair Labor Standards Act ($7.25 since July 2009) |
| State (all 51) | DOL Consolidated Minimum Wage Table | NCSL + state labor departments |
| City & county | The city's own ordinance page (linked on every city page) | UC Berkeley Labor Center inventory + state L&I listings |
Our rules
- Two sources minimum. A rate only goes live after two independent sources agree, or the city's official page confirms it directly.
- Every page shows its sources and verification date — right next to the number, not buried in a footer.
- No guessing, no placeholders. If we haven't verified a jurisdiction yet, we don't publish it (0 jurisdictions currently pending verification).
- Re-verification monthly, plus immediately before the two annual effective-date waves (January 1 and July 1).
- Errors fixed fast. Report an error with an official source and we verify and correct within days.
Why this matters
Most minimum wage pages online are blog posts updated once a year — if at all. We treat this as a dataset, not an article: 57 local ordinances tracked, employer-size tiers where they exist, and scheduled future increases recorded as soon as they're enacted.
Subscribing to updates
Every state and city page has a "email me when this changes" box. That's free, and it's the same alert system that powers our Pro tier.