Pennsylvania minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 an hour in 2026. Pennsylvania's minimum comes from its own Minimum Wage Act of 1968, not only from federal law, and its tipped rules are stricter than the federal ones: a $2.83 cash wage in 2026 and a $135 monthly tip threshold.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $7.25 an hour, since July 24, 20091257 |
|---|---|
| Next change | None scheduled. |
| Tipped employees | $2.83 cash wage, tip credit up to $4.421236 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week15 · details |
| Full-time pay | $290 a week, $15,080 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance, 1-800-932-0665 |
What to know about the Pennsylvania minimum wage
Pennsylvania sets its own $7.25 in the Minimum Wage Act of 1968, and the state figure has matched the federal minimum since July 24, 2009.7 Because the Act is a state law in its own right, it reaches most Pennsylvania employees whether or not their employer is covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. A worker at a small business that federal law does not reach is still owed the state minimum, unless the job falls under one of the Act's own exemptions, such as certain farm, domestic and seasonal work.1
Tipped work is where Pennsylvania departs most from federal rules. Restaurants and bars may pay a cash wage of $2.83 an hour in 2026 rather than the federal $2.13, and only to an employee who customarily and regularly receives more than $135 a month in tips, against $30 under federal law.36 Employers may not deduct credit card or other payment processing fees from an employee's tips.1
The Department of Labor and Industry's Bureau of Labor Law Compliance enforces the Act. Workers can file a minimum wage and overtime complaint online, employers must keep accurate earnings records and display the state's mandatory workplace posters, and students and learners may be paid below the minimum only under special certificates the department issues.21 A 2006 amendment, Act 112, carries the title "federal changes in wage rates and preemption".4
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.83 an hour1236 |
| Maximum tip credit | $4.42 an hour |
Employers may pay a cash wage of $2.83 an hour in 2026 to employees who customarily receive more than $135 a month in tips (34 Pa. Code 231.1).
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 rate15 |
|---|---|
| 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 Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act; regulations in 34 Pa. Code Chapter 231 govern exemptions and how overtime is calculated.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $7.25 is $10.875 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 is fixed in the Act with no inflation adjustment and changes only if the General Assembly amends the Act or Congress raises the federal minimum.
Indexed to inflation: no. Not indexed; fixed at $7.25 and changes only by legislation.5
Rate history
Who is covered
The Minimum Wage Act of 1968 covers most employees in Pennsylvania; its exemptions include certain agricultural, domestic and seasonal jobs. Overtime is one and a half times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek.
- Minimum wage and overtime complaints can also be made by phone at 1-800-932-0665.
Cities and counties
Act 112 of 2006 amended the Minimum Wage Act under the title "federal changes in wage rates and preemption", and no Pennsylvania municipality sets a general minimum wage of its own.
Largest cities in Pennsylvania
- PhiladelphiaFederal rate $7.25
Cities of Pennsylvania among the 50 most populous in the US (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates for July 1, 2025). “Local” marks a city with its own minimum wage, “Regional” a state wage region, and “Federal rate” a city where the federal $7.25 is the rate that applies.
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 |
|---|---|
| New York | $16.00 to $17.00 |
| New Jersey | $15.92 |
| Delaware | $15.00 |
| Maryland | $15.00 |
| Ohio | $11.00 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 |
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 | Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1-800-932-0665 |
| The law | Minimum Wage Act of 1968 (Act 5 of 1968), 43 P.S. 333.101 et seq.; Act 112 of 2006 (federal changes in wage rates and preemption); 34 Pa. Code ch. 231 (Minimum Wage regulations) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Act Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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