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

State minimum wage

Wisconsin minimum wage

$7.25 an hour as of September 2, 2026. Tipped cash wage $2.33.

  • The Wisconsin minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • No increase is currently scheduled in Wisconsin.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.33 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $4.92.
  • A youth or training wage of $5.90 applies: 'Opportunity employee' (under 20, first 90 consecutive days with the employer): $5.90/hour (tipped opportunity employee cash wage $2.13). Minors who are not opportunity employees: $7.25..
  • At $7.25 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $15,080 a year before taxes.
  • Wisconsin law bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage.

Tipped cash wage

$2.33
Tip credit up to $4.92

Youth / training

$5.90
'Opportunity employee' (under 20, first 90 consecutive days with the employer): $5.90/hour (tipped opportunity employee cash wage $2.13). Minors who are not opportunity employees: $7.25.

Next change

None scheduled
Set by statute; no indexing

Local rates

Preempted
Wis. Stat. 104.001(2): 'A city, village, town, or county may not enact and administer an ordinance establishing a minimum wage'; any such ordinance in effect on 2005-06-16 is void.

Rate tiers

TierRateRule
Camp counselors (weekly)$350.00Wis. Stat. 104.035(4): $350/week with no board or lodging; $265/week with board only; $210/week with board and lodging.
Golf caddies$10.50$10.50 per 18 holes; $5.90 per 9 holes.
Agricultural employees$7.25Same $7.25 hourly minimum.

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. Wis. Stat. 104.035(1) and DWD 272.03: $7.25/hour for all employees except opportunity employees; minors (under 18) also $7.25; agricultural employees $7.25..

Tipped employees. Wis. Stat. 104.035(3) / DWD 272.03: tipped employees may be paid $2.33/hour ($2.13 for tipped opportunity employees) provided wages plus tips reach the applicable minimum.

Recent history. $6.50 general / $5.90 opportunity-minor (2006-06-01 to 2009-07-23); $7.25 since 2009-07-24 (DWD 272.03).

DWD's own minimum wage web pages return HTTP 403 to automated fetchers, so the agency URL is listed for reference but was not read; all facts are from the Legislature's statute/admin-code site plus DOL.

Statute. Wis.

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Wisconsin?

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

When does the Wisconsin minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Wisconsin?

$2.33 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $7.25.

Do any cities in Wisconsin have a higher minimum wage?

No. State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances.

Sources

  1. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/104/035 official
  2. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/dwd/270_279/272 official
  3. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  4. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
  5. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/104/001 official
  6. https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/minimumwage.htm official

Checked 2026-09-02 against Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Equal Rights Division, Labor...; researcher confidence 0.90.