Arkansas minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Arkansas is $11.00 an hour in 2026. Arkansas has paid $11.00 since January 1, 2021, the last step of a ballot initiative voters approved in 2018. The state law covers employers with four or more employees and keeps its own tipped cash wage, $2.63 in 2026.
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At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $11.00 an hour, since January 1, 2021146 |
|---|---|
| Next change | No increase is written into Arkansas law after January 1, 2021. |
| Tipped employees | $2.63 cash wage, tip credit up to $8.3725 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week14 · details |
| Full-time pay | $440 a week, $22,880 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Division of Labor, Labor Standards, 501-682-4500 |
What to know about the Arkansas minimum wage
Arkansas reached its 2021 rate through a citizen initiative, not a bill. Voters approved Issue 5 on November 6, 2018, raising the state minimum from $8.50 to $9.25 on January 1, 2019, $10.00 on January 1, 2020 and $11.00 on January 1, 2021.3 The initiated act stopped there and included no inflation adjustment, so the figure has not moved since 2021, and any further raise would need another vote or an act of the Legislature.
Size of the employer decides who is protected. The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act applies to employers with four or more employees, and a business also covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act falls under both laws when it reaches that size and must pay the higher rate.3 Someone working for an employer with three or fewer employees relies on federal law alone.
Restaurant and hotel workers deal with Arkansas's own tip rules. The cash wage, $2.63 an hour in 2026, has not changed since before Issue 5.3 The state rules limit the credit to customarily tipped jobs such as servers, bellhops and barbers, and for any hour in which a tipped worker spends 20 minutes or more on work that earns no tips, the full minimum is owed for that hour.2 Full-time students at accredited Arkansas schools may be paid 85% of the minimum wage, but only with a certificate from the Division of Labor and within weekly hour limits.2
The Labor Standards section of the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing administers the state law, and employers must display the state minimum wage poster, which was revised when Issue 5 took effect.3
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| State minimum wage | Employers with four or more employees | $11.00146 |
| Full-time students with a state certificate | At least 85% of the minimum wage, with a certificate from the Division of Labor, for a full-time student at an accredited Arkansas school. Hours are limited to 20 a week while school is in session and 40 a week when it is not (11 CAR 11-301). | See rule2 |
| Learners, apprentices and student-learners | At least 85% of the minimum wage when the employer holds the matching authorization from the U.S. Department of Labor (11 CAR 11-401). | See rule2 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.63 an hour25 |
| Maximum tip credit | $8.37 an hour |
Employers may pay a cash wage of $2.63 an hour in 2026; the credit is limited to customarily tipped jobs, or to workers receiving more than $20 a month in tips in other jobs. Any hour with 20 minutes or more of non-tipped work must be paid at the full minimum.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | After 40 hours in a workweek, at 1.5 times the regular rate14 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | None in state law |
| Exempt salary | The federal level, $684 a week ($35,568 a year) |
Time and a half after 40 hours a week under the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act, which covers employers with four or more employees.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $11.00 is $16.50 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
There is no inflation index. The 2018 initiative raised the rate in three steps to $11.00 on January 1, 2021, and it changes again only by new legislation or another ballot measure.
Indexed to inflation: no. Not indexed; $11.00 since January 1, 2021, changing only by legislation or ballot measure.14
Rate history
Who is covered
The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act covers employers with four or more employees. Executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees are among the exemptions. Employers covered by both state and federal law must pay whichever rate is higher.
- Before Issue 5 the rate was $8.50, until January 1, 2019.
- Overtime is owed after 40 hours in a week; Arkansas has no daily overtime rule.
- Employers must post the Arkansas minimum wage poster.
Cities and counties
No Arkansas city or county has adopted its own minimum wage.
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| Missouri | $15.00 |
| Louisiana | $7.25 |
| Mississippi | $7.25 |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 |
| Tennessee | $7.25 |
| Texas | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
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 | Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Division of Labor, Labor Standards |
|---|---|
| Phone | 501-682-4500 |
| The law | Ark. Code 11-4-210 (minimum wage); 11 CAR Part 11 (minimum wage rules) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Minimum Wage and Overtime Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 3 Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Arkansas Minimum Wage facts sheet Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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