Hawaii minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Hawaii is $16.00 an hour in 2026, rising to $18.00 on January 1, 2028. Hawaii raises its rate in fixed steps written into HRS 387-2, with the last scheduled step to $18.00 on January 1, 2028. Employers may take a small tip credit only when an employee's wages and tips together reach at least $7.00 above the minimum wage.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $16.00 an hour, since January 1, 2026124 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $18.00 on January 1, 2028 (set in law)12 |
| Tipped employees | $14.75 cash wage, tip credit up to $1.2532 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week164 · details |
| Full-time pay | $640 a week, $33,280 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division, 808-586-8777 |
What to know about the Hawaii minimum wage
Hawaii's minimum wage sat at $10.10 from January 1, 2018 until September 30, 2022, then began a four-step climb set by the Legislature in 2022: $12.00 on October 1, 2022, $14.00 on January 1, 2024, $16.00 on January 1, 2026 and $18.00 on January 1, 2028.1 From 2024 each rate lasts two years. Nothing in HRS 387-2 sets a raise after that, so later increases would need a new law.
The tip credit is small and depends on how much an employee actually earns in tips. Under HRS 387-2(b), an employer may pay a tipped employee up to $1.25 an hour below the minimum from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, a cash wage of $14.75, but only if the employee regularly receives more than $20 a month in tips and wages plus tips come to at least $7.00 above the minimum wage, which is $23.00 an hour.3 In those two years the full $1.25 credit requires tips averaging at least $8.25 an hour; with smaller tips the credit shrinks, and at $7.00 an hour or less no credit is allowed.3
The Wage Standards Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations enforces the law from its Honolulu office, offers free interpretation in several languages, and has offices on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island.1 Employers must display the state minimum wage poster. Overtime is owed after 40 hours a week, and on state and county public works projects after 8 hours a day and for all hours on weekends and state holidays.1
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $14.75 an hour32 |
| Maximum tip credit | $1.25 an hour |
Hawaii's Wage Standards Division allows a tip credit of up to $1.25 an hour (a cash wage of $14.75) from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, only for employees who receive more than $20 a month in tips and whose wages plus tips total at least $7.00 above the minimum wage; with less in tips the credit is smaller or not allowed. The maximum rises to $1.50 on January 1, 2028 (HRS 387-2(b)).
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 rate164 |
|---|---|
| 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 (HRS 387-3). Employees guaranteed $4,000 or more a month, and bona fide executive, administrative, supervisory and professional employees, are excluded from the state wage and hour law.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $16.00 is $24.00 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
The rate follows the fixed schedule in HRS 387-2 shown above, with no inflation index and no steps after January 1, 2028.
Indexed to inflation: no. Not indexed; rises only by the fixed steps in HRS 387-2, the last on January 1, 2028.1
Rate history
Who is covered
The Hawaii Wage and Hour Law (HRS chapter 387) covers most employees, including domestic workers, and applies to jobs also covered by federal law wherever Hawaii's standard is higher.
- The rate stayed at $10.10 from January 1, 2018 until September 30, 2022.
- To take the full $1.25 tip credit in 2026 and 2027, an employer's tipped workers must average at least $8.25 an hour in tips.
- On state and county public works projects, overtime is owed after 8 hours a day and for all hours on Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays.
- Besides its Honolulu office, the Wage Standards Division has offices on Kauai (808-274-3351), Maui (808-243-5322), and in Hilo (808-974-6464) and Kona (808-322-4808).
Cities and counties
No Hawaii statute addresses county minimum wages, and no county has set one.
Neighboring states
Hawaii shares no land border with another state.
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 | Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division |
|---|---|
| Phone | 808-586-8777 |
| The law | HRS 387-2 (minimum wage; tip credit); HAR Chapter 12-20 |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Minimum Wage Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 6 Hawaii State Legislature, HRS 387-1 Definitions Checked Oct 28, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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