The FLSA requires employers to comply with
state minimum wage laws that may set a state
minimum wage rate higher than the federal rate.3
Currently, 45 states and the District of Columbia
have their own minimum wages, of which 18
are higher than the current federal minimum of
$7.25 per hour.4 Only five states do not have their
own minimum wage laws and rely on the FLSA.
Moreover, even state minimum wages that are
below the federal minimum often have an effect
because they can apply to employers or workers
who are exempt from the federal statute.