Minnesota nursing homes must now pay statewide hourly minimums ranging from $19 for general workers to $27 for licensed practical nurses, after delayed standards took effect Sept. 10. The new wage table sets floors of $22.50 for certified nursing assistants and $23.50 for trained medication aides, creating occupation-specific minimums above Minnesota’s general wage floor.
The effective date followed federal approval rather than a new vote this month. The state’s Workforce Standards Board says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Minnesota’s State Plan Amendment on Aug. 11. Under the adopted rule, the wage standards began 30 days later because federal approval of the related nursing-home rate increase had not arrived by the earlier deadline.
A second increase is already scheduled for Jan. 1, 2027. At that point, the minimum rises by $1.50 in every covered category: $20.50 for general workers, $24 for nursing assistants, $25 for medication aides and $28.50 for licensed practical nurses. Contemporary coverage reported that more than three-quarters of certified nursing assistants are expected to benefit and that the standards are financed through nursing-home reimbursement rates.
The rules apply broadly to people providing services inside nursing homes, but not to every job connected with a facility. Department of Labor and Industry guidance excludes administrative staff, medical directors, nursing directors, physicians and workers supplied by supplemental nursing-services agencies. Contractors generally are covered unless an exception applies. That distinction matters for facilities reviewing payrolls and for workers determining whether the new floor governs their position.
The adopted rule defines the three specialized occupations and makes the wage standards statewide. It also required both a legislative appropriation sufficient to support the necessary rate increase and federal approval before implementation. Because federal approval came after Dec. 1, 2025, the rule’s built-in 30-day delay controlled the launch date. The Sept. 10 start was therefore the completion of a financing and regulatory process, not an optional date selected by individual facilities.
The wage rule is part of a larger state system created in 2023 to set minimum employment standards for nursing-home employees. The nine-member board includes state labor, health and human-services officials, along with three worker representatives and three employer representatives. Its rulemaking record shows that Minnesota used an expedited process to adopt the initial wage standards. Separate rules have required time-and-a-half pay for work on 11 state holidays since Jan. 1, 2025.
Implementation now shifts from approval to compliance and feedback. The board scheduled a special meeting for 4 p.m. Sept. 22 and a St. Paul public forum from 5 to 7 p.m., with a hybrid option. Employers must ensure base hourly pay meets the applicable occupational floor, while covered workers can compare their rate with the state table and raise questions with the Labor Department. The Jan. 1 step-up means facilities also have less than four months to prepare for the next payroll adjustment.
