Minimum wage laws: how state rules differ

A minimum wage is exactly what the word says it is. According to Vocabulary.com, the minimum is "the lowest or smallest amount possible or acceptable" — and when the word sits in front of "wage," it means the least an employer is allowed to pay you for an hour of work. That floor is not one number across the country. It changes at the state line, and sometimes at the city line. For Rockland County readers, the practical picture is simple: New York sets its own minimum wage, and employers here must pay the state's rate, not the federal one, whenever the state rate is higher. But the rules behind that rate — how it rises, how tipped workers are paid, and who is exempt — vary widely from state to state. Here is how those differences actually work. For related coverage, see How a bill becomes a law in New York, explained for Rockland readers. Why doesn't one national wage cover everyone? The federal government sets a baseline minimum wage, and every state may set its own.

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