2026 Alaska Minimum Wage
The 2026 Alaska Minimum Wage is $14.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-08-29
Compared with 2025
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $11.91 | $14 | +$2.09 (+17.5%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Alaska covered by the state minimum wage law. The table attaches no employer-size condition to the basic minimum rate itself, but the entry does limit one thing by size: the premium overtime pay requirement, on either a daily or a weekly basis, is not applicable to employers of fewer than a stated number of employees. The entry also sets out a voluntary flexible work hour plan approved by the Alaska Department of Labor, and the table does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees, or any higher rate set by a local government.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Alaska's basic minimum rate as $14.00 per hour. The Alaska entry records no dated step inside the year, and no earlier year of this record is published on this site, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Alaska in 2026?
- $14.00 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Alaska in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The entry gives a single rate per hour with no employer-size condition attached to it, and the figure published here is taken from that entry alone.
- Does Alaska require daily overtime as well as weekly overtime?
- The Department of Labor's table records premium pay after designated hours for Alaska on both a daily and a weekly basis, where many entries in the same table state a weekly threshold only. The entry gives the hour counts and this page reports that both thresholds exist without repeating them. The table's footnote adds that the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate unless otherwise specified.
- What is Alaska's voluntary flexible work hour plan?
- The entry states that under a voluntary flexible work hour plan approved by the Alaska Department of Labor, a longer scheduled day within a standard workweek may be instituted, with premium pay owed after that longer daily threshold rather than the ordinary one. The table gives those hour counts; this page describes the arrangement without them, and the entry names no further condition on such a plan.
- Do small employers in Alaska have to pay overtime premiums?
- The Alaska entry states that the premium overtime pay requirement, on either a daily or a weekly basis, is not applicable to employers of fewer than a stated number of employees. That condition is written against the overtime requirement alone. The basic minimum rate in the same entry carries no employer-size condition, so nothing in the entry limits the hourly rate by headcount.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage for Alaska?
- The Department of Labor's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Alaska and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The same table states that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires as examples of what it leaves out.
- Does the Alaska minimum wage change during 2026?
- The Department of Labor's table lists no scheduled change for Alaska. Its entry carries a single basic minimum rate with no dated step attached, unlike the entries the department dates for some other states. A change taking effect after the table's July 1, 2026 update would not appear on this page until the department republishes the table and this record is verified against it again.
- How is the Alaska minimum wage adjusted each year?
- The same table states an annual adjustment formula inside the entry for several states. The Alaska entry contains no such statement. This page therefore publishes the rate the table listed as of July 1, 2026 and makes no claim about how or when the rate is recalculated, because the source document does not say.
- Where does the $14.00 figure on this page come from?
- From the Wage and Hour Division's State Minimum Wage Laws table at dol.gov, in the snapshot captured for this record, where the Alaska entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $14.00. The division notes on the same page that it tries to keep the information accurate and that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Minimum wage pay calculator takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
The rate shown on this page is the general minimum wage for covered workers, but several categories of employees may lawfully be paid less under special subminimum provisions. Many states allow employers to pay minors or students a lower hourly wage than the standard adult rate, and some jurisdictions also maintain a training wage for newly hired employees during an introductory period. Other states exempt certain groups from minimum wage coverage altogether. These subminimum rates, exemptions, and training wages are not displayed in the DOL table and vary from state to state. Employers and workers in those situations must check their own state's rules to determine which category applies and what reduced rate, if any, is permitted. The federal subminimum wage for tipped employees and for workers with disabilities under special certificates are separate programs that also exist alongside the regular minimum wage. When in doubt, consult the state labor office to confirm whether a subminimum rate is lawful for a particular employee.
Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
Many cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions have enacted their own minimum wage laws that set a higher hourly rate than the state minimum wage shown on this page. When a local rate exceeds the state rate, non-exempt employees working within that locality must generally be paid the higher local rate. Because local minimum wage rates are adopted and updated independently, they can change more frequently than state rates and may apply only within specific municipal boundaries. The DOL table of state minimum wage rates does not display these local differential provisions, so the state figure alone may understate what an employer in a covered locality is actually required to pay. Workers and employers should determine whether a city or county ordinance applies at the work site and verify the current local rate with the local government or the relevant state labor office. Where federal, state, and local minimum wages all apply, the highest rate governs.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
The table on this page includes a column titled "Premium Pay After Designated Hours" for states that require overtime premium pay. A footnote to the table states the general rule: the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay, unless the state specifies a different multiplier. The "regular rate" used in that calculation is not limited to the base hourly minimum wage; it can include commissions, nondiscretionary bonuses, and other forms of compensation, so the actual overtime dollar amount may exceed a simple one-and-one-half calculation on the $14 hourly minimum wage shown for 2026. Some states define daily overtime thresholds in addition to the more common weekly overtime, and a few states set thresholds that differ from the weekly norm, but the one-and-one-half multiplier is the default applied across the table wherever a state mandates premium pay. Workers who believe they are owed overtime should confirm both the applicable threshold and the regular-rate calculation with the relevant state labor office.
The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The Wage and Hour Division, an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor, maintains this page and states that it tries to ensure the information presented is accurate. However, because state minimum-wage laws are amended regularly and the page itself does not capture every subminimum, local, or exempted-worker provision, individuals who need authoritative guidance are directed to consult the relevant state labor office for official information. A worker who believes an employer is paying less than the required state rate, or an employer that wants to confirm the current dollar amount before the next payroll, should therefore contact the labor department of the state where the work is performed rather than relying on this table alone. The state labor office can confirm whether the $14 hourly rate shown here for 2026 still applies, whether a local ordinance sets a higher floor, and where to file a formal wage complaint if pay has fallen short of what the law requires.
The Wage and Hour Division tries to ensure that the information on this page is accurate, but individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
- Hourly
Alaska Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $14.00
Other years
Every Alaska Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state