Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the minimum wage in Arizona will be $14.70 an hour, a 35-cent increase from 2024’s $14.35, according to the Industrial Commission of Arizona. The increase is directly tied to the 2.5% increase in inflation from August 2023 to August 2024.

Some Arizona workers will see a slight pay raise this year. The state’s minimum wage will go from $14.35 to $14.70 an hour, as Arizona law requires it to be based on how inflation impacted the cost of living.

Voters approved an initiative in 2016 that would gradually increase Arizona's minimum wage to $12 by 2020. The wage would then be adjusted annually depending on the local cost of living.

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington raised their minimum wage on Jan. 1, according to an ABC News report.

Washington state’s new law, House Bill 2214, will guarantee free college tuition to low-income students starting in the 2025-26 academic year. The law automatically qualifies students in grades 10 through 12 who receive Basic Food or Food Assistance Program benefits for the Washington College Grant (WCG), the state’s largest financial aid program.

Ohio's minimum wage has increased by 2.3% as of Jan. 1, but businesses may face larger wage hikes in 2026. Ohio's minimum wage has increased by 2.3%, going from $10.45 per hour to $10.70 per hour as of Jan.