On Jan. 1, according to the Missouri Department of Labor, Missouri’s minimum wage rose to $13.75 an hour for all workers. Missouri voters approved Proposition A on Nov. 5, 2024, in the election.
This amended Chapter 290 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, leading to the provided changes to the minimum wage in the state. By 2026, the minimum wage will increase again to $15 an hour in Missouri.
Sophomore Alexandra Wilks works at Texas Roadhouse in Ballwin, Mo. She works a 3-4 hour shift on weeknights and longer shifts on the weekends. Wilks balances school work while working, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
“It’s actually really fun,” Wilks said. “Most of my coworkers and I get along. The work environment is good.”
When Wilks heard of the new minimum wage for 2025, she believed it was a fair and reasonable wage increase as prices have continued to rise due to inflation. The cost of groceries have increased, for example eggs have increased by 20% in two years. Restaurant prices have also been impacted, increasing on average by 2.2 percent.
“A lot of things these days are very expensive,” Wilks said. “If the minimum wage is at least thirteen dollars it’s a good price, but going higher would be a lot, a little bit too much.”
With the new minimum wage set at $13.75, Wilks believes people could afford more items that they wouldn’t have been able to and possibly earn more money than their original money because of the new wage price.
“We should just keep this minimum wage for a couple of years and see what the prices do,” Wilks said. “Maybe not change it a whole lot.”
Bennet Stephans, 12, works at Mobil Auto Spa in Ellisville, Mo. He works a two hour and thirty minute shift every weekday and a four hour or a seven hour shift on weekends. When he heard of the new minimum wage for 2025, he agreed that it was a fair and reasonable price.
He believes that the new wage will affect him and other workers in a good way since it’s more money for them along with the tips they receive as well from working. He doesn’t think it will affect him personally because he believes he earns more than the wage since he gets tips.
“I think it is fair that it gets raised to this amount,” Stephans said. “It doesn’t really affect me. I think it’s fair for all the other workers, but I earn more than the minimum wage because we work for tips too.”
