Yes, you love your nanny, your housekeeper, your pet sitter and the other caregivers in your life. But do you pay them a fair wage?
“Just as you are compensated for the work you do in your profession, your household employee must be paid at least minimum wage for every hour s/he works,” says Tom Breedlove, Sr. Director of Care.com HomePay.
Read on to learn more about minimum wage and what the current rates on in your state.
According to New York City-based employment attorney Jeffrey Risman, Esq., household workers such as nannies, senior caregivers and housekeepers must be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This applies even in states that don’t have a minimum wage law or those states where the minimum wage law is set at a lower rate than that established by federal law.
In states where the minimum wage requirement exceeds $7.25, workers should be compensated at the higher rate set.
“It’s important to understand your state’s minimum wage requirement because employees can file a wage dispute for unpaid wages against their employer months after the employment relationship has ended,” cautions Breedlove.
Are you a nanny or caregiver? Read these tips about getting paid minimum wage.
Follow this guide to minimum wage law
Here’s a list of what families in each state need to pay, as of January 1, 2023. Keep in mind that some cities and counties within certain states have their own minimum wage laws that families should adhere to.
- Alabama: $7.25/hour
- Alaska: $7.25/hour
- Arizona: $13.85/hour
- Some cities have a different minimum wage rate. HomePay has the details here.
- Arkansas: $7.25/hour
- California: $15.50/hour
- Several cities have a different minimum wage rate. Check HomePay for the details here.
- Colorado: $13.65/hour
- Some cities have a different minimum wage rate. Visit the HomePay website for details here.
- Connecticut: $14.00/hour
- Delaware: $7.25/hour
- District of Columbia: $16.10/hour
- Florida: $11.00/hour
- Georgia: $7.25/hour
- Hawaii: $12.00/hour
- Idaho: $7.25/hour
- Illinois: $13.00/hour
- Some cities and counties have a different minimum wage rate. Visit HomePay for the details here.
- Indiana: $7.25/hour
- Iowa: $7.25/hour
- Kansas: $7.25/hour
- Kentucky: $7.25/hour
- Louisiana: $7.25/hour
- Maine: $13.80/hour
- Some cities have a different minimum wage rate. HomePay has the details listed here.
- Maryland: $12.80/hour
- Some counties have a different minimum wage rate. HomePay has these rates listed here.
- Massachusetts: $15.00/hour
- Michigan: $10.10/hour (if you have 2 or more employees. Otherwise, the minimum wage rate is $7.25/hour.)
- Minnesota: $8.63/hour
- Some cities have a different minimum wage rate. HomePay has the details listed here.
- Mississippi: $7.25/hour
- Missouri: $7.25/hour
- Montana: $9.20/hour
- Nebraska: $7.25/hour
- Nevada: $10.50/hour
- New Hampshire: $7.25/hour
- New Jersey: $12.70/hour
- New Mexico: $12.00/hour
- Some cities have different minimum wage rates. HomePay has the details here.
- New York: $14.20/hour
- Some cities and counties have different minimum wage rates. Visit HomePay for the details here.
- North Carolina: $7.25/hour
- North Dakota: $7.25/hour
- Ohio: $7.25/hour
- Oklahoma: $7.25/hour
- Oregon: Minimum wage varies from $12.50/hour to $14.75/hour depending on where you live. Visit HomePay to see the specific details here.
- Pennsylvania: $7.25/hour
- Rhode Island: $7.25/hour
- South Carolina: $7.25/hour
- South Dakota: $10.80/hour
- Tennessee: $7.25/hour
- Texas: $7.25/hour
- Utah: $7.25/hour
- Vermont: $7.25/hour
- Virginia: $12.00/hour
- Washington: $15.74/hour
- Some cities have different minimum wage rates. HomePay has the details here.
- West Virginia: $7.25/hour
- Wisconsin: $7.25/hour
- Wyoming: $7.25/hour
Your next steps:
- Discover what caregivers make in your area
- Set up a payroll and tax account with HomePay
- Run a budget scenario for your care needs
