Tucson minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Tucson is $15.45 an hour in 2026, $0.30 above the Arizona rate of $15.15. Tucson's wage comes from Proposition 206, the Tucson Minimum Wage Act approved by city voters in November 2021. It reached $15.00 on January 1, 2025 and since then rises with the Consumer Price Index, never falling below a higher Arizona or federal rate.
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At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $15.45 an hour, since January 1, 202612 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next rate has not been announced yet. |
| Tipped employees | $12.45 cash wage, tip credit up to $3.001 |
| Full-time pay | $618 a week, $32,136 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Tucson Business Services Department, Labor Standards Unit, 520-791-5611 |
What to know about the Tucson minimum wage
Tucson voters approved Proposition 206 at the November 2021 general election, and the city wage took effect on April 1, 2022 at $13.00, above the $12.80 state rate that had applied until then.1 It rose to $13.85 in 2023, $14.35 in 2024 and $15.00 on January 1, 2025, then moved with the Consumer Price Index to $15.45 on January 1, 2026.12 The gap with the state is narrow, 30 cents in 2026, because Arizona's own wage is also indexed to inflation.
The act reaches further than a pay floor. Employers that averaged 26 or more employees owe three hours of minimum wage when a worker scheduled for at least three hours is sent home early, or when a shift is cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice.1 The 5-hours-per-pay-period threshold means workers based elsewhere who make regular stops in the city, such as drivers, can be covered for that time.
Enforcement sits with the Labor Standards Unit of the Business Services Department, which takes complaints at [email protected] or 520-791-5611. Violations are civil infractions carrying up to $100 per violation, per employee, per day, on top of back pay, and the city can suspend a business license. The act also bars retaliation against workers who complain or assert their rights.1
The January 1, 2027 rate will be at least the 2027 Arizona minimum.1
All 2026 rates
Most workers get the standard city rate. In 2026 employers may pay tipped employees up to $3.00 an hour less in cash, but only if tips bring each worker to at least the full Tucson rate.
Compared with Arizona
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Tucson, that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson | Due January 1, 2027, amount not announced | $15.45 |
| Arizona (state) | $15.65 on January 1, 2027 | $15.15 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $12.45 an hour1 |
| Maximum tip credit | $3.00 an hour |
Employers may count tips toward up to $3.00 of the hourly wage, a cash wage of $12.45 from January 1, 2026, as long as tips make up the rest of the Tucson minimum.
How the rate changes
After the voter-approved steps ended at $15.00 on January 1, 2025, the rate rises each January 1 in line with the Consumer Price Index and automatically matches any higher state or federal minimum wage.
Rate history
Who is covered
Full-time, part-time and temporary employees who do at least 5 hours of work per pay period inside Tucson city limits are covered; the city's MapTucson tool shows whether an address is inside. Employees of the State of Arizona, the federal government and tribal entities, and casual babysitters working in the employer's home, are not covered.
- Before April 1, 2022 the Arizona state rate ($12.80) applied in Tucson; the city wage started that day at $13.00.
- Employers that averaged at least 26 employees must pay three hours at minimum wage when a worker scheduled for three or more hours is sent home early, or when a shift is cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice.
- The city publishes English and Spanish posters each year, plus training videos for employers.
- Arizona's statewide minimum for 2026 is $15.15 ($12.15 tipped cash wage), 30 cents below Tucson's.
Other local rates in Arizona
- Flagstaff$18.35
Everywhere else in Arizona, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of Tucson Business Services Department, Labor Standards Unit |
|---|---|
| Phone | 520-791-5611 |
| The law | Proposition 206, 'The Tucson Minimum Wage Act' (approved by Tucson voters November 2021) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Tucson, Business Services Department, Tucson Minimum Wage Act Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2 City of Tucson, City of Tucson Minimum Wage poster 2026 (English) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3 U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, State Minimum Wage Laws Checked Oct 9, 2026
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