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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Saint Paul Announces Higher Minimum Wage Rates for 2027
Workers at the city's largest employers will earn at least $17.02 an hour beginning January 1, while smaller businesses will move toward the same citywide rate under Saint Paul's phased minimum wage schedule.
SAINT PAUL, MN (September 1, 2026) Saint Paul has announced its minimum wage rates for 2027, raising hourly pay requirements for workers across the city as smaller employers continue moving toward the same minimum rate required of the city's largest businesses.
The City of Saint Paul announced the new rates Tuesday through its Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity.
Beginning January 1, 2027, employers with 101 or more workers will be required to pay a minimum wage of $17.02 per hour.
Businesses employing between six and 100 workers will be required to pay at least $16.37 an hour beginning January 1, while businesses with five or fewer employees will remain at $14.25 an hour during the first half of the year.
Another round of changes takes effect July 1.
At that point, businesses with six to 100 employees will join larger employers at the $17.02 hourly rate.
The minimum wage for businesses with five or fewer employees will rise to $15 an hour on July 1.
Saint Paul's 2027 minimum wage schedule is:
January 1, 2027:
• Businesses with 101 or more employees: $17.02 per hour
• Businesses with 6 to 100 employees: $16.37 per hour
• Businesses with 5 or fewer employees: $14.25 per hour
July 1, 2027:
• Businesses with 101 or more employees: $17.02 per hour
• Businesses with 6 to 100 employees: $17.02 per hour
• Businesses with 5 or fewer employees: $15.00 per hour
The city said employers must count all workers when determining which business-size category applies. That includes full-time and part-time employees as well as temporary, jointly employed and remote workers.
Saint Paul's minimum wage ordinance dates to 2018, when the City Council unanimously approved the local wage requirement.
The ordinance established different implementation schedules based on employer size, allowing smaller businesses more time to reach the city's full minimum wage.
The city's minimum wage is adjusted annually for inflation.
Enforcement is handled by the Labor Standards Division of Saint Paul's Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity, which also oversees the city's earned sick and safe time and wage theft ordinances.
Tuesday's announcement comes weeks after the city took enforcement action against a former Saint Paul dog daycare and boarding business.
According to the city, an investigation determined that St. Paws LLC violated Saint Paul's minimum wage and earned sick and safe time requirements.
Investigators found that 58 employees were denied required earned sick and safe time rights and eight workers had been paid below the applicable minimum wage.
On August 12, the Saint Paul City Council ordered the former business to pay $40,201.23 in restitution to 61 employees, including back pay and liquidated damages.
The city's new wage rates will apply to work performed within Saint Paul regardless of where an employer is headquartered, subject to the requirements of the ordinance.
For thousands of Saint Paul workers, the January and July adjustments will continue the city's multiyear transition toward a common minimum wage across employers of different sizes.
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