Current Minimum Wage
Hawaii minimum wage$16.00since January 1, 2026↑ $18.00 on January 1, 2028

State minimum wage

Hawaii minimum wage

$16.00 an hour as of September 2, 2026, rising to $18.00 on January 1, 2028. Tipped cash wage $14.75.

  • The Hawaii minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • The next change is on : $18.00.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $14.75 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $1.25.
  • At $16.00 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $33,280 a year before taxes.

Tipped cash wage

$14.75
Tip credit up to $1.25

Youth / training

None
No sub-minimum youth or training rate found on the state page.

Next change

$18.00
· statute

Local rates

None found
No express state statute preempting county minimum wages was located; no Hawaii county has enacted one.

Scheduled increases in Hawaii

January 1, 20281 jurisdiction
State$18.00
Hawaiistatute · HRS 387-2(a)(11) as amended by Act 114, SLH 2022 (HB 2510).
$18.00from $16.00 (+$2.00)

Rate tiers

TierRateRule
employees with guaranteed monthly compensation of $4,000 or moren/aExempt from the state minimum wage (per DOL's summary of HRS 387-1).

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. all covered employers.

Tipped employees. A tip credit of $1.25 (rising to $1.50 on 2028-01-01) is allowed only if the employee's cash wage plus tips is at least $7.00 more than the applicable minimum wage (HRS 387-2(b)).

Recent history. Rose from $14.00 to $16.00 on 2026-01-01 under Act 114 (2022); next step $18.00 on 2028-01-01.

DLIR tip credit notice: from 2026-01-01 to 2027-12-31 minimum cash wage with tip credit is $14.75 and combined wage-plus-tips must reach $23.00.

Statute. HRS 387-2 (as amended by Act 114, SLH 2022).

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Hawaii?

$16.00 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective January 1, 2026.

When does the Hawaii minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2028, to $18.00.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Hawaii?

$14.75 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $16.00.

Do any cities in Hawaii have a higher minimum wage?

None were found in effect.

Sources

  1. https://labor.hawaii.gov/wsd/minimum-wage/ official
  2. https://labor.hawaii.gov/wsd/files/2022/06/2028-Minimum-Wage-for-Web.pdf official
  3. https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol07_Ch0346-0398/HRS0387/HRS_0387-0002.htm official
  4. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  5. https://labor.hawaii.gov/wsd/files/2022/06/Tip_Credit_Notice_with_exhibits_June2022.pdf official
  6. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
  7. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/

Checked 2026-09-02 against Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division; researcher confidence 0.90.