These states lead the way in low-wage workers

When it comes to the minimum wage, not every state is created equal.

That's because a handful of U.S. states have a high share of hourly workers who earn the baseline federal wage or are paid rates that drop even below that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Across the country, about 4.3 percent of workers getting an hourly rate are earning either the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, or less. But certain states have much higher shares of low-wage workers, such as Tennessee, which ranks as the country's leader when it comes to workers making the bare minimum.

Most of the states with the highest percentages of low-wage workers are in the South or West, Oxfam America noted last week in a report.

It's notable that three of the top nine states with the biggest percentages of low-wage hourly workers lack a state law establishing a baseline wage. (Only five states in the U.S. don't have their own minimum wage.)

While the debate continues about raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, the number of Americans earning the baseline rate is at a 15-year high, according to the BLS. And it's no longer teenagers who make up the bulk of low-paid workers: About half of minimum-wage employees are between 35 to 64 years old.

Read on to find out which states have the highest percentages of low-paid workers.

Tennessee

Tennessee might be known for country music, but it also has the distinction of having the highest percentage of minimum-wage and below-minimum-wage hourly workers in the country. A whopping 7.4 percent of Tennessee's workers make $7.25 per hour or less. It's one of the five states without its own minimum wage law, and about 17 percent of its residents live below the federal poverty level.

Idaho

Roughly 7.1 percent of hourly workers in this Western state make $7.25 an hour or less. If the federal baseline wage is boosted to $10.10, about 22.5 percent of workers in the state could benefit, Oxfam America said in its report. About 15 percent of the state's residents lives in poverty.

Alabama

In this Southern state, which lacks its own minimum wage, about 6.8 percent of its hourly workers earn $7.25 or less. On top of that, 18.1 percent of its residents live below the poverty level. Some Alabama lawmakers have recently sought to establish a state minimum wage.

Arkansas

The home state of Bill Clinton is one of the few with a minimum wage that's actually lower than the federal rate, at $6.25 an hour -- a dollar less than the national rate. It's also one of the states with the highest percentage of hourly workers making $7.25 or less, at 6.8 percent. Arkansas would benefit the most if the federal rate is boosted to $10.10 per hour, Oxfam America found because that would give more than one-quarter of its workers a raise. Almost 19 percent of Arkansas residents are living in poverty.

Texas

Everything's bigger in Texas, and that includes the number of low-wage hourly employees. With 6.4 percent of its workers earning $7.25 or less per hour, that means 400,000 Texans are scraping by on low wages, more than any other state on a per-person basis. Based on Census numbers, about 17.4 percent of its residents live below the poverty line.

Oklahoma

About 6.3 percent of Oklahoma's hourly workers earn $7.25 an hour or less. It's one of the states most likely to benefit from a $10.10 federal wage, Oxfam America said. About 16.6 percent of its residents are living in poverty.

Virginia

In Old Dominion, about 6.2 percent of hourly workers make $7.25 an hour or less. While legislators tried earlier this year to raise the state's baseline wage to $9.25 over the next two years, the measure died in a state House committee vote. Despite its high share of low-wage workers, only about 11.1 percent of Virginians residents live in poverty, below the national average of 14.9 percent.

Indiana

Indiana is tied with Virginia, with 6.2 percent of its hourly workers earning $7.25 an hour or less. An effort to raise the state's baseline wage to $10.10 an hour fell short of the required votes earlier this year. Still, one local employer recently took matters into its own hands: Indiana University plans to boost its minimum pay to $8.25 an hour next month. The state's poverty rate is about equal with the nation's.

Mississippi

Rounding out the list is Mississippi, where 6.1 percent of workers earn $7.25 or less. This state counts as one of the five without its own minimum wage, and 22.3 percent of Mississippi residents live in poverty. About 24 percent of its workers would see a pay hike if the federal minimum wage is lifted to $10.10 per hour, Oxfam America found.