Minnesota nursing homes must now pay workers at least $19 an hour, with higher floors of $22.50 for certified nursing assistants, $23.50 for trained medication aides and $27 for licensed practical nurses. The statewide standards took effect Sept. 10 after federal approval of the financing mechanism, according to the state wage schedule and an independent report.
The change is broader than an increase in Minnesota's general minimum wage because it applies specifically to covered nursing-home work and sets different thresholds by occupation. The state says the rule reaches direct-care employees as well as other workers who support nursing-home operations, subject to the definitions and exclusions in the adopted rule. Employers remain responsible for determining which job category applies to each employee.
The schedule has another step already built in. On Jan. 1, 2027, the general floor rises to $20.50, while the minimums increase to $24 for certified nursing assistants, $25 for trained medication aides and $28.50 for licensed practical nurses. The rule also requires time-and-a-half pay for work performed on 11 state holidays, a provision detailed in the Labor Department's guidance.
Why the timing changed
The Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board adopted the wage package earlier, but implementation depended on federal review of a Medicaid State Plan Amendment designed to support the labor costs through nursing-home reimbursement rates. The department's board page says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved that amendment Aug. 11, clearing the standards to begin 30 days later. That timing is why the wage floors started in September rather than on the rule's original calendar.
The board was created by the Legislature in 2023 to establish minimum employment standards for the nursing-home sector. The enabling state law places employer, worker and public representatives on the panel and authorizes standards that are at least as protective as existing state law. The board's process includes public hearings and an administrative rulemaking review rather than a direct appropriation to individual facilities.
What employers and workers should watch
For operators, the immediate task is to match payroll records and job classifications to the new schedule, including the holiday premium. For workers, the practical question is whether regular hourly pay now meets the applicable occupation-specific floor. The department directs questions about coverage and compliance to its Labor Standards division.
The policy's effect will depend on more than the posted rates. Reimbursement must reach facilities on time, operators must apply the classifications consistently, and the state must enforce the standards across a sector with widely varying ownership and staffing models. Even so, the Sept. 10 start represents a concrete statewide change: nursing-home pay in Minnesota is now governed by a dedicated wage floor, with another increase less than four months away.
