The rate follows the work. For the hours you perform inside Minneapolis the Minneapolis rate applies, for hours inside Saint Paul the applicable Saint Paul rate, and for hours elsewhere in Minnesota the general state rate. In each case what you are owed is the highest wage floor applicable to that work at that location, since an industry-specific standard can require more than any of them.
Four separate youth and training wage rules apply across Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul during 2026. They differ on age, on duration, on the rate and on whether a formal program is required.
Saint Paul sets three minimum wage rates based on how many people your employer employs. Count 101 or more and the City Rate applies. Count 6 to 100 and the small employer rate applies. Count 5 or fewer and the micro rate applies.
Saint Paul’s minimum wage depends on the size of your employer, and during the current phase-in the rates change on two different dates a year rather than one.
Minneapolis has one general rate regardless of employer size or employee age, subject to a narrow exception for employees under 20 in city-approved training and apprenticeship programs. What decides whether you are owed it is where you physically perform the work.
Minnesota’s general minimum wage under Chapter 177 is $11.41 an hour in 2026 and rises to $11.87 on January 1, 2027. That is the general floor rather than the whole picture. If you work in Minneapolis or Saint Paul, a higher city rate applies to the hours you work inside those city limits. And separate industry-specific wage standards can require more again, which from September 10, 2026 they do for nursing home workers across the state.
