Current Minimum Wage
West Virginia minimum wage$8.75since January 1, 2016

State minimum wage

West Virginia minimum wage

$8.75 an hour as of September 2, 2026. Tipped cash wage $2.62.

  • The West Virginia minimum wage is $8.75 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • No increase is currently scheduled in West Virginia.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.62 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $6.13.
  • A youth or training wage of $6.40 applies: WV Code 21-5C-2: training wage of $6.40/hour (after 2014-12-31) for newly hired employees under 20, for no more than 90 cumulative days per employee (limited extension for new businesses). The....
  • At $8.75 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $18,200 a year before taxes.

Tipped cash wage

$2.62
Tip credit up to $6.13

Youth / training

$6.40
WV Code 21-5C-2: training wage of $6.40/hour (after 2014-12-31) for newly hired employees under 20, for no more than 90 cumulative days per employee (limited extension for new businesses). The...

Next change

None scheduled
Set by statute; no indexing

Local rates

None found

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. WV Code 21-5C-2: 'After December 31, 2015, every employer shall pay ... not less than $8.75 per hour.' State law covers employers with six or more non-exempt....

Tipped employees. WV Code 21-5C-4: after 2014-12-31 employers may take 'a credit ... of seventy percent of the hourly rate' for employees customarily receiving gratuities. Division of Labor FAQ: 70% credit permits a...

Recent history. $7.25 (after 2008-06-30), $8.00 (2015-01-01), $8.75 (2016-01-01) per 21-5C-2; no change since.

70% of $8.75 is $6.125, so the cash wage computes to $2.625; the Division of Labor and DOL both publish $2.62 cash / $6.13 credit.

Statute. WV Code 21-5C-1 (definitions/coverage), 21-5C-2 (rates, training wage), 21-5C-4 (tip and board/lodging credits).

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in West Virginia?

$8.75 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective January 1, 2016.

When does the West Virginia minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled.

What is the tipped minimum wage in West Virginia?

$2.62 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $8.75.

Do any cities in West Virginia have a higher minimum wage?

None were found in effect.

Sources

  1. https://labor.wv.gov/wage-hour/jobs-act/minimum-wage official
  2. https://labor.wv.gov/wage-hour/jobs-act/minimum-wage/minimum-wage-faq official
  3. https://code.wvlegislature.gov/21-5C-2/ official
  4. https://code.wvlegislature.gov/21-5C-1/ official
  5. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  6. https://code.wvlegislature.gov/21-5C-4/ official
  7. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official

Checked 2026-09-02 against West Virginia Division of Labor, Wage & Hour Section; researcher confidence 0.90.