Over the past couple of years, the minimum wage has become an extremely hot topic at the national level. Interestingly, the minimum wage varies greatly at the local level, with states and even individual cities having degrees of autonomy in setting their minimum wage. Let’s see how Michigan’s minimum wage compares to other states and learn a bit more about the history of Michigan’s minimum wage.
What is Michigan’s Minimum Wage in 2021?
Michigan had previously planned to increase the minimum wage to $9.87 in 2021 but that was later canceled and the minimum wage at the moment remains at $9.65.
What is the Current Federal Minimum Wage?
Michigan’s minimum wage compares quite favorably relative to the national minimum wage. In 2021 the federally mandated minimum wage sits at $7.25.
Michigan Minimum Wage Increases
Going back through the history books you might be surprised to see that the first-ever minimum wage in Michigan was only $1.25 back in 1968. Of course, you need to take inflation into account to compare it to today’s value, and in truth, according to usinflationcalculator.com, this was actually relatively higher than today’s minimum wage.
Let’s look back at all of the Michigan minimum wage changes over the years.
| Years | MI Minimum Wage |
| 1968-1971 | $1.25 |
| 1972-1975 | $1.60 |
| 1976-1979 | $2.20 |
| 1979 | $2.90 |
| 1980 | $3.10 |
| 1981-1997 | $3.35 |
| 1998-2006 | $5.15 |
| 2007 | $6.95 |
| 2008 | $7.15 |
| 2009-2013 | $7.40 |
| 2014-2015 | $8.15 |
| 2016 | $8.50 |
| 2017 | $8.90 |
| 2018 | $9.25 |
| 2019 | $9.45 |
| 2020-present | $9.65 |
How Does the Minimum Wage in Michigan Compare to Each State?
Michigan is somewhat in the middle of the pack when it comes to the minimum wage rate in each state. The lowest state-level minimum wage in the country is $7.25, which is shared by 20 different states while the highest is $15.20 in Washington D.C.
| State | Rate | vs. Michigan |
| Michigan | $9.65 | – |
| Alabama | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Alaska | $10.34 | $ 0.69 |
| Arizona | $12.15 | $ 2.50 |
| Arkansas | $11.00 | $ 1.35 |
| California | $14.00 | $ 4.35 |
| Colorado | $12.32 | $ 2.67 |
| Connecticut | $12.00 | $ 2.35 |
| Delaware | $9.25 | $ (0.40) |
| District of Columbia | $15.20 | $ 5.55 |
| Florida | $8.65 | $ (1.00) |
| Georgia | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Hawaii | $10.10 | $ 0.45 |
| Idaho | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Illinois | $11.00 | $ 1.35 |
| Indiana | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Iowa | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Kansas | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Louisiana | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Maine | $12.15 | $ 2.50 |
| Maryland | $11.75 | $ 2.10 |
| Massachusetts | $13.50 | $ 3.85 |
| Minnesota | $10.08 | $ 0.43 |
| Mississippi | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Missouri | $10.30 | $ 0.65 |
| Montana | $8.75 | $ (0.90) |
| Nebraska | $9.00 | $ (0.65) |
| Nevada | $9.75 | $ 0.10 |
| New Hampshire | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| New Jersey | $12.00 | $ 2.35 |
| New Mexico | $10.50 | $ 0.85 |
| New York | $12.50 | $ 2.85 |
| North Carolina | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Ohio | $8.80 | $ (0.85) |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Oregon | $12.75 | $ 3.10 |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Puerto Rico | $6.55 | $ (3.10) |
| Rhode Island | $11.50 | $ 1.85 |
| South Carolina | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| South Dakota | $9.45 | $ (0.20) |
| Tennessee | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Texas | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Utah | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Vermont | $11.75 | $ 2.10 |
| Virginia | $9.50 | $ (0.15) |
| Washington | $13.69 | $ 4.04 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 | $ (0.90) |
| Wisconsin | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
| Wyoming | $7.25 | $ (2.40) |
What About Michigan Tipped Employee Minimum Wage?
Lest we forget about our servers, bartenders, and other tipped employees, it might be helpful to know what their minimum wage is as well. As of 2021, Michigan’s tipped employee minimum wage stands at $3.67 per hour. When it comes to tipped minimum wage New York offers the highest at $10.00 while many states are tied for the lowest rate at $2.13 per hour.