Dec 23, 2025 - News
When Oregon's minimum wage goes up in 2026
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Many workers across the country will get a raise on Jan. 1 as minimum wages rise in 19 states, but Oregonians will have to wait a few months.
Why it matters: Oregon is the most recent state to tie raises in its minimum wage to inflation.
Zoom in: As of July 1, 2025, minimum wage workers in Oregon earned $14.05 an hour in rural counties, $14.70 in the rest of the state (known as the standard) and $15.95 in the Portland metro, per the Bureau of Labor and Industries.
- That's all going to change on July 1, 2026.
The intrigue: That's when the state will shift to a standard minimum wage adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.
- Workers in rural counties will make $1 less per hour than the adjusted standard and Portland workers will earn $1.25 more.