The state’s minimum wage will be changing again on Jan. 1, 2026.
PHOENIX — Arizona’s minimum wage is scheduled to change again in 2026.
Starting on Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage will be raised from $14.70 to $15.15. The increase is meant to account for inflation reported between August 2024 and August 2025.
Several years ago, Arizona voters approved a ballot initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 by 2020. The initiative additionally required the minimum wage to continue increasing in successive years if the local cost of living increases.
The minimum wage doesn’t apply to individuals employed by a parent or sibling. Some small businesses may also be exempt from the wage rule.
For tipped workers, employers may pay them up to $3 less than the minimum wage if the employer can prove that the worker is at least earning the minimum wage level after accounting for their tips.
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How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.