2024 Hawaii Minimum Wage
The 2024 Hawaii Minimum Wage is $14.
Effective 2024-01-01Source: Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)Verified 2026-08-31
Compared with 2023
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $12 | $14 | +$2 (+16.7%) |
Who it applies to
Employees covered by the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, including those also covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the Hawaii standard is higher.
What changed this year, and why
Hawaii's minimum wage increased to $14 per hour, effective January 1, 2024. The rate was $12 per hour in 2023.
Common questions
- What was the minimum wage in Hawaii before 2024?
- The minimum wage was $12 per hour in 2023.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Hawaii's tip-credit rule lets an employer pay a tipped employee up to $1.25 less per hour than the regular minimum wage of $14, effective January 1, 2024. The reduced cash wage is authorized by Section 387-2(b) of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and is scheduled to increase to $1.50 less per hour in 2028. Beyond tipped workers, the Hawaii Wage Standards Division may also authorize subminimum wages for other categories of employees, such as minors, students, or trainees working under a special license or certificate. These reduced rates are not automatic; an employer in Hawaii must obtain approval from the state before paying anyone less than the full $14 minimum wage. Workers and employers who want to know whether a subminimum rate applies to a particular situation should contact the Wage Standards Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations directly.
TIP CREDIT - Under certain conditions, "tipped employees" may be paid up to 75 cents less per hour; effective October 1, 2022, up to $1.00 less per hour; effective January 1, 2024, up to $1.25 less per hour; and effective January 1, 2028, up to $1.50 less per hour.
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers in Hawaii who believe they have not been paid the full $14 per hour minimum wage, or any other wages owed, should contact the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The department's Wage Standards Division enforces the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law and may recover back wages for underpaid employees, either through an administrative process or by filing a court action on the worker's behalf. The department maintains offices on each of the main islands: Oahu in Honolulu, Kauai in Lihue, Maui in Wailuku, and Hawaii County in Hilo and Kealakekua. A complaint can also be initiated through the department's website at www.labor.hawaii.gov. Workers do not need to wait for their employer to correct the problem before reaching out.
ENFORCEMENT: The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations may recover back wages, either administratively or through court action, for employees who have been underpaid.
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
When both the federal government and the State of Hawaii set a minimum wage, the rule is straightforward: the employer must pay the higher of the two rates. Hawaii's minimum wage of $14 per hour is higher than the federal minimum wage, so the Hawaii rate controls for covered employment in the state. The Hawaii Wage and Hour Law explicitly provides that its minimum wage applies to employment also covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act when the Hawaii standards are higher than the federal law. This means a worker in Hawaii is entitled to at least $14 per hour regardless of the federal floor. If the federal rate were ever raised above the Hawaii rate, the higher federal figure would then apply instead.
Minimum wage under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law also applies to employment covered by the federal wage and hour law (Fair Labor Standards Act) when Hawaii standards are higher than the federal law.
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
Hawaii allows employers to pay tipped employees less than the full minimum wage under certain conditions. Starting January 1, 2024, employers may pay tipped workers up to $1.25 less per hour than the standard rate of $14.00 per hour. This means a tipped employee in Hawaii can receive a cash wage that is lower than the full minimum, as long as their tips bring their total compensation to at least the state minimum wage. The tip credit amount increases to $1.50 less per hour starting January 1, 2028. Employers must follow the conditions set out in Section 387-2(b) of the Hawaii Revised Statutes to use this tip credit. Workers in Hawaii who receive tips should understand that their employer may apply this credit, but their total hourly earnings including tips must still meet or exceed the state minimum wage for every hour worked.
TIP CREDIT - Under certain conditions, "tipped employees" may be paid up to 75 cents less per hour; effective October 1, 2022, up to $1.00 less per hour; effective January 1, 2024, up to $1.25 less per hour; and effective January 1, 2028, up to $1.50 less per hour.
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
When the State of Hawaii sets a minimum wage that is lower than the federal minimum wage, the higher federal rate applies to covered employment in Hawaii. The Hawaii Wage and Hour Law is designed to guarantee workers the most protective standard available: when Hawaii's rate exceeds the federal floor, the Hawaii rate controls; when the federal rate is higher, the federal rate controls. As of 2024, Hawaii's minimum wage of $14 per hour is above the federal minimum, so the Hawaii rate is the one workers receive. If the federal rate were to rise above $14 per hour in the future, covered employees in Hawaii would automatically be entitled to the higher federal figure. The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations enforces whichever standard is higher in a given period.
Minimum wage under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law also applies to employment covered by the federal wage and hour law (Fair Labor Standards Act) when Hawaii standards are higher than the federal law.
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
Hawaii's minimum wage is not adjusted each year by a formula tied to inflation. Instead, the Hawaii Legislature has set a schedule of fixed increases in statute. The current rate of $14 per hour is effective January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025. Future increases are also written into Chapter 387 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and will take effect on specified future dates without the need for a separate cost-of-living adjustment announcement. Because these steps are enacted by the Legislature, there is no annual index-based adjustment and no separate announcement by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations tied to a consumer price index. The rate changes on the dates specified in the law, and employers in Hawaii are expected to implement each increase on schedule. Workers and employers can confirm the current applicable rate through the department's website or by contacting the nearest Wage Standards office.
$14.00 per hour effective January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
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.
Notice to Employees Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law, HWHL-1 (Rev. 06/22) (Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division)
- Hourly
$14.00 per hour effective January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025
Other years
Every Hawaii Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state