2022 Federal Minimum Wage
The 2022 Federal Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2022-01-01Source: Minimum Wage (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2021
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2021.
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
What changed this year, and why
The federal minimum wage remained at $7.25 per hour in 2022, unchanged from the prior year.
Common questions
- What was the federal minimum wage in 2022?
- The federal minimum wage was $7.25 per hour in 2022.
- Did the federal minimum wage change from 2021 to 2022?
- No. The federal minimum wage was $7.25 per hour in both 2021 and 2022.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not establish procedures for collecting wages that exceed the federal minimum wage requirement, such as an employee's usual or promised wages or commissions. When workers believe they are owed wages beyond the $7.25 per hour federal minimum, they cannot file a complaint under federal law for those additional amounts. However, many states have enacted their own wage payment collection laws that allow employees to file claims for unpaid wages, which sometimes include fringe benefits. Workers seeking to recover wages above the federal minimum should contact their state labor department or wage and hour division to learn about filing procedures under state law. State agencies handle disputes over promised compensation, overtime pay that exceeds federal requirements, and other wage-related claims that fall outside federal minimum wage protections.
The FLSA does not provide wage payment collection procedures for an employee’s usual or promised wages or commissions in excess of those required by the FLSA. However, some states do have laws under which such claims (sometimes including fringe benefits) may be filed.
Minimum Wage (DOL)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
The $7.25 federal minimum is a floor and not a ceiling, and for most workers in the United States it is not the operative number. Many states set their own minimum wage, some of them well above the federal one, and where a state gives greater protection the employer must comply with both laws - which in practice means paying the higher rate. Nothing in the federal act preempts the more generous state rule; it sets the minimum below which no covered employer may go. Two consequences worth carrying. Your own rate is the highest of the federal, state and local figures that reach your job, so the number to look up is your state's and your city's rather than this one. And a job that pays exactly $7.25 in a state with a higher minimum is not a lawful federal-rate job; it is an underpaid one.
Many states also have minimum wage laws. Some state laws provide greater employee protections; employers must comply with both.
Minimum Wage (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.
Minimum Wage (DOL)
- Hourly
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour
Other years
Every Federal Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state