Current Minimum Wage
Rhode Island minimum wage$16.00since January 1, 2026↑ $17.00 on January 1, 2027

State minimum wage

Rhode Island minimum wage

$16.00 an hour as of September 2, 2026, rising to $17.00 on January 1, 2027. Tipped cash wage $3.89.

  • The Rhode Island minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • The next change is on : $17.00.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $3.89 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $12.11.
  • A youth or training wage of $12.00 applies: Ages 14-15 working 24 hours or less per week may be paid 75% of the minimum wage ($12.00 in 2026); if they work more than 24 hours in a week, the full $16.00 applies to all hours..
  • At $16.00 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $33,280 a year before taxes.
  • Rhode Island law bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage.

Tipped cash wage

$3.89
Tip credit up to $12.11

Youth / training

$12.00
Ages 14-15 working 24 hours or less per week may be paid 75% of the minimum wage ($12.00 in 2026); if they work more than 24 hours in a week, the full $16.00 applies to all hours.

Next change

$17.00
· statute

Local rates

Preempted
RIGL 28-12-25 (P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 11, s. 4): 'No municipality shall establish, mandate, or otherwise require an employer to pay a minimum wage to its employees, other than the state or federal...

Scheduled increases in Rhode Island

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
State$17.00
Rhode Islandstatute · RIGL 28-12-3 as amended by P.L. 2025, ch. 222 and ch. 223 (eff. 2025-06-24): 'Commencing January 1, 2027: $17.00 per hour.' No rate is enacted for...
$17.00from $16.00 (+$1.00)

Rate tiers

TierRateRule
Full-time students under 19...$14.4090% of the minimum wage ($14.40 in 2026) per DLT.

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. All employees covered by RIGL 28-12 (DLT page last updated 2025-12-31)..

Tipped employees. RIGL 28-12-5(c): cash wage 'not less than three dollars and eighty-nine cents ($3.89) per hour' since 2017-01-01; tips must bring the employee to $16.00. Tipped employee = more than $30/month in...

Recent history. $12.25 (2022), $13.00 (2023), $14.00 (2024), $15.00 (2025), $16.00 (2026), $17.00 (2027) per RIGL 28-12-3.

The DLT page phrases the tipped rule as 'Minimum cash wage: $16 minus $3.89 tip credit, which is $12.11' - this inverts the labels; the statute (28-12-5) and DOL both confirm the employer's cash wage is $3.89 and the tip credit is $12.11. NCSL's table still...

Statute. RIGL 28-12-3 (rates), 28-12-5 (tipped), 28-12-25 (preemption).

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Rhode Island?

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

When does the Rhode Island minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $17.00.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Rhode Island?

$3.89 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $16.00.

Do any cities in Rhode Island have a higher minimum wage?

No. State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances.

Sources

  1. https://dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/labor-standards/minimum-wage official
  2. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE28/28-12/28-12-3.htm official
  3. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  4. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE28/28-12/28-12-5.htm official
  5. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
  6. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE28/28-12/28-12-25.htm official

Checked 2026-09-02 against Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), Labor Standards; researcher confidence 0.95.