The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted to recommend increasing the county’s minimum wage to $13.37 per hour, effective July 1, 2026. The figure was set using Consumer Price Index data to account for inflation.
Although the recommended wage is symbolic and not enforceable under Iowa state law, the Board of Supervisors has routinely voted to increase the suggested minimum wage since 2015.
The State of Iowa’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, a rate set in 2008 and not indexed for inflation. The federal minimum wage also stands at $7.25.
Johnson County originally passed an ordinance establishing its own minimum wage on Sept. 10, 2015. For 17 months, the county maintained a minimum wage higher than the state’s, including three months when it reached $10.10 per hour.
That changed on March 30, 2017, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad signed legislation that eliminated the ability of local jurisdictions within Iowa to set a minimum wage higher than the state minimum.
More information on the county’s minimum wage ordinance is available at www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/wage.
