Eight states are set to raise their minimum hourly wage rates on Jan. 1, 2012, with Washington topping the list at $9.04 an hour, but San Francisco is the lone governmental entity with a minimum wage above the 10-dollar range.

Though other cities enforce "living wages" for businesses that do contracted work for them, San Francisco enforces a general minimum wage on all enterprises, and on Jan. 1 that rate will rise to $10.24 an hour from $9.92.