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Montana's minimum wage will increase from $7.35 to $7.65 per hour on Jan. 1.

The increase means that a full time minimum wage earner will earn approximately $600 more per year; it breaks down to about an extra $2.40 a day or $12 per 40-hour week.

Eighteen states plus the District of Columbia have minimum wage rates above the federal level of $7.25 per hour, which is just over $15,000 per year for a full time minimum wage earner.

Economist Aaron McNay noted, "This is going to put us above the national minimum wage, which is currently at and will continue to remain at $7.25 an hour."

While the increase will only impact about 5% of Montana's current working population, or about 20,000 people, it's meant to at least keep up with inflation.

McNay said, "This increase is designed to make sure that people earning the minimum wage don't see their actual wages decline over time as prices increase."

Most minimum wage earners tend to be younger and just entering the labor force, or those who are working part-time, including the older population that are working past retirement.

The Job Service in Helena doesn't usually see a lot of minimum wage jobs, even in the service or retail industry; currently, with 229 jobs posted, only seven are listed at minimum wage.

According to the Montana Department of Labor, food prep workers make up the highest number of minimum wage earners at 29%, followed by waiters and waitresses at 21%, and servers and child-care workers at 19%.