{"id":164214,"date":"2026-02-14T04:27:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T04:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/164214\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T04:27:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T04:27:44","slug":"how-texas-compares-to-states-with-higher-minimum-wages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/164214\/","title":{"rendered":"How Texas Compares To States With Higher Minimum Wages"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"56\" data-end=\"476\">When it comes to minimum wage, Texas truly means minimum.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"56\" data-end=\"476\">The Lone Star State is one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/labor-and-employment\/state-minimum-wages\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">several still locked<\/a> into the federal floor of $7.25 an hour \u2014 a number that hasn\u2019t budged in years. Meanwhile, there are states paying $16 or even $17 an hour. That\u2019s a massive gap, and while it\u2019s fair to argue that higher wages often show up in higher prices at the register, you have to ask: is $7.25 really the best we can do?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"478\" data-end=\"935\">Sure, it costs more to grab a burger at McDonald\u2019s in California than it does in Texas. But when the hourly wage is nearly $10 higher out west, the conversation gets more complicated. I\u2019m not saying Texas needs to leap to the front of the pack overnight. A dramatic jump might create its own ripple effects. But could we at least take a small step forward? Even a modest increase would separate Texas from the states still dragging along at the very bottom.<\/p>\n<p>Is $7.25 Really the Best Texas Can Do?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"937\" data-end=\"1288\">This isn\u2019t about reinventing the economy or waging class warfare. It\u2019s about improving the overall quality and engagement of the workforce. At $7.25 an hour, it\u2019s hard to expect long-term commitment, pride, or enthusiasm. When people know there are countless other opportunities paying more than the bare minimum, motivation tends to follow the money.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1290\" data-end=\"1639\">You can argue \u2014 fairly \u2014 that private businesses should set wages based on market conditions and retention needs. Many already do. But there\u2019s also something to be said for setting a tone as a state. A slightly higher minimum wage could send a message that Texas values work, values effort, and wants its citizens not just employed \u2014 but encouraged.<\/p>\n<p>Read More:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/kfmx.com\/singles-scene-texas\/?utm_source=tsmclip&amp;utm_medium=referral\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Why Texas Ranks Third For Singles In 2026 Dating Report<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1641\" data-end=\"1927\">I\u2019m not looking for a lecture from the peanut gallery on macroeconomics. I just think there\u2019s room between $7.25 and $17. Somewhere in there is a number that gives working Texans a little more hope when they open their paycheck \u2014 and maybe a little more pride when they punch the clock.<\/p>\n<p>41 Breathtaking Photos From The Tallest Building in Lubbock, Texas<\/p>\n<p>Lubbock looks amazing from the tallest building in town.<\/p>\n<p class=\"photogallery-credit\">Gallery Credit: Chrissy<\/p>\n<p>Texas Tech&#8217;s Tortilla Throwing Tradition<\/p>\n<p class=\"photogallery-credit\">Gallery Credit: Topher Covarrubio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When it comes to minimum wage, Texas truly means minimum. The Lone Star State is one of several&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[168,170,169],"class_list":{"0":"post-164214","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lubbock","8":"tag-lubbock","9":"tag-lubbock-headlines","10":"tag-lubbock-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}