Hawaii Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 Hawaii Minimum Wage is $16.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-08-29
Compared with 2025
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $14 | $16 | +$2 (+14.3%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Hawaii covered by the state minimum wage law. The Department of Labor's table attaches no employer-size condition to Hawaii's rate, but its entry carries two coverage lines: the State law excludes from coverage any employment subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act unless the State wage rate is higher than the federal rate, and an employee earning a guaranteed monthly compensation at or above a stated amount is exempt from the state minimum wage and overtime law. The entry records domestic service workers as subject to Hawaii's minimum wage and overtime requirements.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Hawaii's basic minimum rate as $16.00 per hour. Hawaii's entry is one of the longer ones in that table: besides the rate it records a weekly threshold after which premium pay is due, an exemption for an employee earning a guaranteed monthly compensation at or above a stated amount, the coverage of domestic service workers, and an exclusion tied to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. No earlier year of this record is published here, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Hawaii in 2026?
- It is $16.00 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Hawaii in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The figure published here is read from that entry and from nothing else, so it is the state rate as the department recorded it on that date.
- Are highly paid salaried employees exempt from the Hawaii minimum wage?
- The Department of Labor's entry for Hawaii states that an employee earning a guaranteed monthly compensation at or above a stated amount is exempt from the State minimum wage and overtime law. The entry gives that monthly amount, which this page does not restate because only the hourly rate above is a verified figure of this record. No other exemption is named in the entry.
- Do domestic workers get the Hawaii minimum wage?
- The Department of Labor's entry for Hawaii states that domestic service workers are subject to Hawaii's minimum wage and overtime requirements, and cites the act and legislative session that made it so. That line is unusual in this table, which for most jurisdictions records a rate and little else. The entry gives no separate rate for that work.
- When does overtime pay start in Hawaii?
- The Department of Labor's table records premium pay after designated hours for Hawaii on a weekly basis, and the table's footnote says the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate unless otherwise specified. The entry states no separate daily threshold, which the entries for some other jurisdictions in the same table do state.
- Does Hawaii's minimum wage go up again after 2026?
- The Department of Labor's table lists no scheduled change for Hawaii and states no adjustment formula in its entry, though it does state one for several other jurisdictions. A change taking effect after the table's July 1, 2026 update would not appear here until the department republishes the table and this record is verified against it again.
- Is Hawaii's minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage?
- Yes. The same Department of Labor table cites the current federal minimum wage in its entries for states with no minimum wage law of their own, and Hawaii's basic minimum rate stands above that amount. That matters for coverage here: Hawaii's entry excludes from State coverage any employment subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act unless the State wage rate is higher than the federal rate.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage in Hawaii?
- The Department of Labor's table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Hawaii 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 its examples.
- Where does the $16.00 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 Hawaii entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $16.00. 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 federal minimum wage does not always apply to every worker at every rate. Some states authorize employers to pay certain categories of workers less than the standard minimum wage. These categories typically include minors, students, and new hires who are still in a training period. In some states, young workers or students may be entirely exempt from minimum wage coverage, while other states create a separate, lower training wage that applies only during an employee's first hours or days on the job. The page you are reading does not list these special state-by-state rules. If you are a young worker, a student, or starting a training position, you need to check your own state's labor laws to find out whether a subminimum rate applies to you and what conditions the employer must meet before paying that lower rate.
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
The federal minimum wage floor does not prevent cities, counties, or other local jurisdictions from setting a higher wage for workers within their boundaries. When a local government enacts its own minimum wage that exceeds both the state and federal rates, employers in that locality must pay the higher local rate. This page shows only the statewide and federal minimum wages; it does not display local ordinances that may require an even higher hourly rate. Workers should check with their city or county government to determine whether a local minimum wage applies where they work, because that local rate would control over the state figure shown on this page.
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
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay for all hours worked beyond the standard workweek threshold. The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay. This means an employee earning the 2026 minimum wage of $16 per hour would earn a multiplied overtime rate for each overtime hour worked. The overtime calculation is based on the individual employee's actual regular rate, not the minimum wage, so higher-paid workers also receive the same multiplier. A few occupations or pay arrangements may specify a different overtime formula, but the default rule across covered employers is the one-and-one-half multiplier described here. Workers who believe they have not been paid the correct overtime amount should contact their state labor office or the federal Wage and Hour Division.
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, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, maintains the information on this page, but it warns that the table may not reflect every state-specific rule. For official and current information about your state's minimum wage, subminimum rates, training wages, or any other wage requirement, you should consult the relevant state labor office. Your state labor office can confirm the exact rate that applies to your job, tell you whether any exemptions affect your wages, and accept a wage complaint if you believe you have been underpaid. The Wage and Hour Division also operates a toll-free hotline where workers can ask questions about federal wage law or get help finding their state office.
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
Hawaii Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $16.00
By year
Every published year
10 years on record, 2026 back to 2016. Each year links to its own page, its own document and its own verification date.