Today the federal minimum wage increases to $7.25 per hour. While each state offers their own minimum wage law, if it is less than the new federal minimum wage, they must now match this higher amount. This means 13 states will increase their minimum wage to $7.25 today: Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah.
Four other states also increased their minimum wage in the month of July (some did it just before the federal deadline – a nice political opportunity for the state government to look better to employees by beating the Feds to this): Illinois, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, with Illinois increasing their minimum wage to $8.00 per hour. These other 3 states just matched the federal level of $7.25. The old minimum wage was $6.55 per hour.
Which states pay the highest minimum wage? Oregon at $8.40 per hour and Washington at $8.55. Only 13 states, plus DC, pay more than the federal minimum wage.
Regarding the people who say this is going to put people out of work – – – – unless they are an actual business owner who can’t figure out how to save 70 cents in another area, in order to keep their employees happy and able to pay for their basic costs of living, then take their feedback with a grain of salt. And if it is a business owner who can’t figure it out well, maybe he shouldn’t be in business? Employees are the backbone of any business, find away to pay them a fair wage or don’t be in business.
Those of us who are business owners and have had more than 100 people working for us, know you can always cut costs someplace, and, if necessary, if you offer a great service, you can always increase your pricing to cover a necessary increase in costs, including increases in costs of living. And one of the best ways to have great service is to have happy employees, which is worth a few cents.
The good news? Senior caregivers are paid more than minimum wage along with benefits by senior home care agencies nationwide. Senior caregivers are usually paid from $9.00 to $14.00 per hour, depending on the area of the country. Pay is more in New York than Alabama, for example, as the costs of living are more. In addition, caregivers who are certified as nursing aides or home health aides also receive higher pay when performing those duties. In addition, many quality senior care agencies provide performance bonuses, incentives, ongoing training and support.
You may apply for a senior caregiving job in your area on Caregiverlist and also find the details on minimum wage laws in your state.
