Current Minimum Wage
North Carolina minimum wage$7.25since July 24, 2009

State minimum wage

North Carolina minimum wage

$7.25 an hour as of September 2, 2026. Tipped cash wage $2.13.

  • The North Carolina minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • No increase is currently scheduled in North Carolina.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.13 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $5.12.
  • A youth or training wage of $6.50 applies: Full-time students, learners, apprentices and messengers: 90% of the minimum wage rounded to the lowest nickel (G.S. 95-25.3(b)); $6.50 is computed from $7.25 (agency page does not state the figure)..
  • At $7.25 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $15,080 a year before taxes.
  • North Carolina law bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage.

Tipped cash wage

$2.13
Tip credit up to $5.12

Youth / training

$6.50
Full-time students, learners, apprentices and messengers: 90% of the minimum wage rounded to the lowest nickel (G.S. 95-25.3(b)); $6.50 is computed from $7.25 (agency page does not state the figure).

Next change

None scheduled
Set by statute; no indexing

Local rates

Preempted
G.S. 95-25.1(d) (S.L. 2016-3, 2nd Ex. Sess.): the Wage and Hour Act supersedes and preempts any local ordinance regulating employer compensation of employees, including wage levels.

Rate tiers

TierRateRule
Seasonal food service establishmentsn/aCommissioner may set a rate not less than 85% of the otherwise applicable wage (G.S. 95-25.3); no figure published on the agency page.

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. All employees covered by the N.C. Wage and Hour Act. G.S. 95-25.3(a): at least $6.15 or the FLSA section 6(a)(1) rate, whichever is higher; the federal rate....

Tipped employees. Tips may be counted as wages only up to the amount permitted by FLSA section 3(m); employees must be notified in advance and retain all tips (tip pooling allowed, no employee's tips reduced more...

Recent history. State floor of $6.15 set in 2006; federal rate has governed since 2009.

Premium pay after 45 hours in seasonal amusement/recreation businesses (DOL table).

Statute. N.C.G.S. 95-25.3 (minimum wage); 95-25.1(d) (preemption).

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in North Carolina?

$7.25 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective July 24, 2009.

When does the North Carolina minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled.

What is the tipped minimum wage in North Carolina?

$2.13 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $7.25.

Do any cities in North Carolina have a higher minimum wage?

No. State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances.

Sources

  1. https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned/minimum-wage-nc official
  2. https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned official
  3. https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_95/GS_95-25.3.html official
  4. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  5. https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_95/GS_95-25.1.html official
  6. https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages

Checked 2026-09-02 against North Carolina Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Bureau; researcher confidence 0.93.