The minimum salary in Texas is still widely debated, reporting the headlines once more, as was expected. Minimum wage remains at a base price of $7.25 an hour since 2009, with all indications pointing to a failure to change in 2025. This figure regulated by federal laws directly affects millions of workers, but is it really enough to sustain themselves in the economic context of today?
What will happen to the minimum wage in Texas in 2025?
While the others were anticipating an increase, the truth is that the minimum wage in Texas has remained the same for over 15 years (Texas Labor Code). Texas hasn’t enacted salary legislation of its own; therefore, it has followed the federal minimum wage, leading to many workers having unchanged earnings. Another essential point about minimum wages in Texas;
- Unchanged since 2009: Seven hundred Twenty-Five Cents remain unchanged, no matter what the inflation rate is.
- Impacts millions of workers: Over 2.8 million workers rely on this income.
- Big exceptions: Some sectors and job categories will have different rules.
While some other states chose to establish higher amounts for their people’s protection, Texas maintains a very reserved position on that. This excites constant comparisons with places like California, where minimum wages are perhaps less fair but vastly bigger.
Why hasn’t the minimum wage increased?
The real barrier to an increase is federal inaction. Since the U.S. Congress hasn’t adopted any policy changes in over a decade, states, including Texas, that do not have their own minimum wage laws rely entirely on this regulation.
Some advocates of maintaining the current wage argue that an increase could damage small and medium-sized businesses. However, labor organizations, such as the Texas Workers Union, contend that this income has fallen too far out of touch with economic realities and argue that many workers can no longer afford the basics of rent and transportation.
Minimum wage exceptions in Texas
An unequal treatment of the minimum wage from employee to employee exists. The aforementioned are the specified exemptions considered by the law that lessen the base earnings for that amount further:
- Tipped Workers: They can be paid as little as $2.13 an hour if they make enough tips to bring their hourly wages up to $7.25.
- Employees younger than 20: They may be compensated at $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment.
- Apprentices should be carried at various rates under some depending situations, including students.
By 2025, the salary for the state’s minimum wage remains at Texas at $7.25. For a lot of workers today, this is pathetically low pay, with unintentional living costs hurting their profitability. The lack of legislative interest in updates means tensions among labor reporting them while small employers want advances reprieved lest they prove hazardous to their businesses. The of course looming question: for how long can this figure remain frozen?
