Activists rallied this week to increase the minimum wage in Massachusetts to $15 per hour. Here’s a look at the current state of the minimum wage, in Massachusetts and beyond:
What’s the current minimum wage in the state?
In Massachusetts, it is $10 per hour, and it’s set to rise to $11 on Jan. 1. That will be the third and final increase authorized under a law passed in 2014.
How does that compare to other states?
Minimum wage laws vary across the country and even across the region. In New Hampshire, it’s $7.25 per hour; in Rhode Island, it’s $9.60. In Maine, the $7.50 minimum is scheduled to increase to $9 in January and then by $1 a year until it reaches $12; after that it will be tied to inflation. In Vermont, the current $9.60 minimum will rise to $10 in January and $10.50 the year after that. In Connecticut, the $9.60 minimum will rise to $10.10 in January.
Do any states currently have a $15 minimum wage?
No — but some states and localities are scheduled to increase their minimum wages gradually toward $15. In Washington, D.C., for instance, the current $11.50 wage is scheduled to increase gradually to $15 by July 2020. California’s minimum will reach $15 by 2022.
What do $15 advocates plan in Massachusetts?
Backers of the $15 minimum wage hope to persuade the Legislature to increase the minimum over several years. If lawmakers don’t agree, they could try to force the issue onto the 2018 ballot, perhaps pairing it with a proposed “millionaires tax,” which would impose an additional 4 percent tax on income over $1 million.
The federal minimum wage essentially acts as a floor, though states and localities can set a higher minimum. Is there any likelihood that the federal minimum wage — now at $7.25 per hour — will be increased?
President-elect Donald Trump has made conflicting comments on the notion of raising the federal minimum. In July, he said he would “raise it somewhat” — but later in the same interview he said, “We’ll let the states do it.”
Felice Belman can be reached at felice.belman@globe.com.