Missouri’s minimum wage rose to $13.75 per hour on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Workers will also accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked in the state starting May 1.
The change is thanks to Proposition A , a ballot question passed by Missouri voters in November’s general election. The measure will increase the state’s minimum wage again to $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026.
A group of Missouri business groups mounted a legal challenge to the proposition Friday, Dec. 13. Their attempt to overturn the measure, which won 57.6% of the state’s popular vote, alleges that it violates a single-subject requirement for ballot measures by addressing both wages and sick leave in one proposition.
Until the lawsuit can proceed through the courts, Proposition A and its associated minimum wage increase remain in effect. Here’s what to know about how the new wage rules could impact Kansas and Missouri’s state economies.
What’s changing for Missouri workers?
Before Proposition A passed, Missouri’s minimum wage was set to be indexed to inflation. According to the Missouri Department of Labor, 2024’s minimum wage of $12.30 was set to rise to $12.65 in the new year. But Proposition A bumped that increase up by over $1, landing workers at $13.75.