Fair Labor Standards Act
Federal minimum wage
$7.25 an hour since July 24, 2009, the longest stretch without an increase since the FLSA was enacted.
- The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, in effect since .
- The tipped cash wage is $2.13; the youth wage is $4.25 for the first 90 days under age 20.
- 31 states and DC set a higher rate; the federal rate governs in the other 20.
Tipped cash wage
$2.13
Employers may pay a cash wage of $2.13 and take a tip credit of up to $5.12 for employees who customarily and regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips, provided cash wage plus tips equals at...
Youth wage
$4.25
Employees under 20 may be paid not less than $4.25 per hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment; employers may not displace other workers to hire at the youth wage.
Coverage
FLSA
covered nonexempt employees under the FLSA
Federal contractors
FLSA coverage: an employer is covered on an enterprise basis if it has at least two employees and at least $500,000 in annual dollar volume of sales or business done, or is a hospital, medical/nursing care business, school/preschool or government agency...
Last general increase 2009-07-24 ($6.55 to $7.25); contractor EO 14026 revoked 2025-03-14 by EO 14236, leaving only EO 13658 for legacy contracts.
Federal minimum wage history
| Effective | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| $0.25 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $0.30 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $0.40 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers); footnote 5: $4.25 subminimum for employees under 20 during first 90 consecutive calendar days | |
| $0.75 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $1.00 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $1.15 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $1.25 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $1.40 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $1.60 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $2.00 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers); footnote 4: grandfather clause keeps $3.35 for employees of employers covered on 1990-03-31 that fail the raised ADV test | |
| $2.10 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers); footnote 5: $4.25 subminimum for employees under 20 during first 90 consecutive calendar days | |
| $2.30 | 1938 Act column (originally covered workers) | |
| $2.65 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $2.90 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $3.10 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $3.35 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $3.80 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers; footnote 4: grandfather clause keeps $3.35 for employees of employers covered on 1990-03-31 that fail the raised ADV test | |
| $4.25 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $4.75 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $5.15 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers; footnote 5: $4.25 subminimum for employees under 20 during first 90 consecutive calendar days | |
| $5.85 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $6.55 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers | |
| $7.25 | 1938 Act column; for all covered, nonexempt workers |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor.
Sources
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/32-minimum-wage-youth
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/mw-consolidated
- https://does.dc.gov/service/office-wage-hour-compliance-0