2021 Arkansas Minimum Wage
The 2021 Arkansas Minimum Wage is $11.
Effective 2021-01-01Source: Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)Verified 2026-08-30
Compared with 2020
| Item | 2020 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $10 | $11 | +$1 (+10.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employees of Arkansas employers covered by the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act
What changed this year, and why
The Arkansas minimum wage rate for 2021 is $11.00 per hour.
Common questions
- What is the Arkansas minimum wage?
- The Arkansas minimum wage is $11.00 per hour.
- Which employers does the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act cover?
- The Act covers employers with four or more employees. An employer covered by both the Act and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act must pay the higher of the two minimum wages.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Arkansas does not list a separate subminimum wage for minors or students in this fact sheet. The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act does allow certain employees to be exempt from the minimum wage requirement, and the state refers readers to its agency regulations for the full list of exemptions. If you are a young worker or a student in Arkansas, you should check with the Arkansas Department of Labor to see whether your specific job falls under one of those exemptions. Otherwise, your employer must pay you at least the state minimum wage. The verified hourly rate for 2021 is $11.
The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act exempts some employees from both the minimum wage requirement and from the overtime pay requirement.
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act does not exempt all workers from overtime. The document states that "Some employees are exempt only from the overtime pay requirement." For non-exempt employees in Arkansas, overtime is paid at one and one-half times their regular hourly rate for hours worked beyond the standard workweek. A worker earning the state minimum of $11 per hour would therefore be owed one and one-half times $11 for each overtime hour. Whether a particular job qualifies for an overtime exemption depends on the agency's regulations, and workers who believe they have been denied overtime pay should consult the Arkansas Department of Labor for guidance.
Some employees are exempt only from the overtime pay requirement.
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers in Arkansas with questions about the $11 per hour minimum wage, or who need to file a wage complaint, should contact the Arkansas Department of Labor. The agency's main phone number is 501-682-4500, and its fax number is 501-682-4506. For hearing-impaired callers, the Telecommunications Relay Service number is 800-285-1131. The department enforces the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act and can advise covered employers and employees about their rights and obligations under the state law. Complaints about wages below the $11 hourly rate, unpaid overtime, or improper tip credits should be directed to this office.
Phone: 501-682-4500 Fax: 501-682-4506 TRS: 800-285-1131
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
For tipped employees in Arkansas, the cash wage an employer must pay is $2.63 per hour. The state tip credit has not changed, and the document states that "tips must be sufficient to raise the employee to the applicable minimum wage rate." This means tips count toward the $11 hourly minimum: if an employee's tips plus the $2.63 cash wage do not add up to $11 in any workweek, the employer must make up the difference. Arkansas does not describe a separate meals-or-lodging credit in this fact sheet, but the same principle applies—only tips are expressly credited here, and the employer bears the burden of making sure the worker reaches $11.
The state tip credit did not change, so tipped employees must still be paid a minimum of $2.63 per hour and tips must be sufficient to raise the employee to the applicable minimum wage rate.
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
The document states that the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, while the Arkansas rate effective January 1, 2021 is $11 per hour. Because the state figure is higher, the federal floor does not control for covered Arkansas employers—instead, the rule is that an employer covered by both laws must pay the higher of the two rates. The situation the topic describes—a state rate below the federal floor—is not the case in Arkansas. Had Arkansas set a rate below $7.25, the federal minimum would apply to covered employers instead. In 2021, however, Arkansas workers covered by the state act receive $11, and the lower federal figure is simply not the operative rate.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
The Arkansas minimum wage of $11 per hour was set by a voter-approved initiative that established fixed stepped increases, not by an automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment tied to a consumer price index. The rate of $11.00 per hour effective January 1, 2021 was the final step in that schedule. Arkansas does not currently adjust its minimum wage each year based on inflation. Any future increase would require new legislation or another voter initiative. The Arkansas Department of Labor announces the applicable rate and makes the required workplace poster available. Workers and employers in Arkansas should watch for announcements from the department regarding any future changes to the state minimum wage.
$11.00 per hour effective January 1, 2021.
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
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.
Fact Sheet on the Increase of the Arkansas Minimum Wage (Arkansas Department of Labor)
- Hourly
$11.00 per hour effective January 1, 2021.
Other years
Every Arkansas Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state