2020 Idaho Minimum Wage
The 2020 Idaho Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2020-01-01Source: Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho Department of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2019
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2019.
| Item | 2019 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees covered by Idaho's minimum wage laws
What changed this year, and why
The minimum wage in Idaho for 2020 is $7.25 per hour, as set by state law and consistent with the federal minimum wage.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Idaho for 2020?
- The minimum wage in Idaho for 2020 is $7.25 per hour.
- Does the Idaho minimum wage change during 2020?
- No. The minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour throughout 2020.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Idaho's minimum wage rules include reduced rates for specific groups of workers. A tipped employee may be paid $3.35 per hour rather than the full minimum wage. Employers may also pay new hires who are under 20 years old a training wage of $4.25 per hour, but only during the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. After that 90-day period, the employer must pay the young worker at least the standard rate. These provisions are set out in Idaho Code Section 44-1502. The lower tipped wage and the youth training wage are both tied to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act framework, which Idaho follows. Workers in these categories should confirm that their employer is actually applying the subminimum rate only within the conditions the law allows; once a tipped employee's tips combined with the $3.35 cash wage fall short of $7.25 for a workweek, the employer must make up the difference.
The minimum wage for a tipped employee is $3.35 per hour. The minimum wage for new hires under the age of 20 years old is $4.25 per hour but only for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment.
Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho Department of Labor)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Idaho follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime rule. Any employee who is covered by that act must be paid at a rate of one and one-half times their regular hourly rate for every hour worked over 40 in a single workweek. Each workweek is counted on its own; an employer cannot average hours across two or more workweeks to avoid paying the premium. The rule applies unless the employer or the individual employee qualifies for a specific exemption, which can only be granted or approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. Workers in Idaho who believe they are owed overtime pay can direct questions to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division offices serving the state, listed by region on this page.
In accordance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, overtime must be paid at a rate of time and one half for all hours “worked” over 40 in a workweek, unless the employer or the individual employee is considered exempt.
Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho Department of Labor)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Idaho’s minimum wage, overtime rules and child labor laws are enforced through a mix of state and federal offices. For questions about Idaho’s state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, overtime, or the youth minimum wage, workers and employers can contact the Idaho Department of Labor; any labor compliance officer can answer questions regarding a wage claim at 208-332-3579. For workers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act — including most overtime claims and tipped-employee rules — the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division handles complaints. This page lists Wage and Hour Division offices serving northern Idaho, as well as southwestern and eastern Idaho. Workplace-injury and workers’ compensation questions go to the Idaho Industrial Commission, which is also listed on the Idaho government website.
If the employer doesn’t remember who is handling the case, any labor compliance officer can answer questions regarding the claim at 208-332-3579.
Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho Department of Labor)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
Idaho sets a separate cash wage for tipped employees: $3.35 per hour, which is lower than the regular state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The employer may count the employee’s tips toward the gap between the two rates, so that the worker’s total hourly earnings (cash wage plus tips) reach at least $7.25. If an employee’s tips in a given pay period are not enough to make up the difference, the employer must pay the shortfall so the employee still receives the full $7.25 per hour. The source document lists the tipped minimum wage and the regular minimum wage but does not describe any separate credit for meals or lodging provided by the employer; Idaho law as presented here does not give employers a way to count the value of food or housing toward meeting the $7.25 floor. Workers in Idaho who believe their employer has shorted them on tips or has failed to make up the difference can file a wage claim with the Idaho Department of Labor.
The minimum wage for a tipped employee is $3.35 per hour.
Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho Department of Labor)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
Idaho employers may not withhold any part of an employee’s wages unless state or federal law requires it, or the employer has written authorization from the employee to make a deduction. Even when the employee has signed a written authorization, the deduction in most cases may not reduce that week’s pay below the Idaho minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The rule is designed so that ordinary debts to the employer — for uniforms, cash-register shortages, breakage, and similar items — cannot be shifted onto the worker by cutting pay beneath the legal floor. There is one narrow exception: if the employer can prove it made an advance or draw against the employee’s future wages, it may withhold the entire amount of that advance from a later paycheck, even if doing so would otherwise push the worker below minimum wage. Anyone in Idaho who believes wages have been improperly deducted can contact the Idaho Department of Labor to file a claim.
In most cases, even with written authorization, the deduction cannot reduce wages below the minimum wage.
Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho 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.
Frequently Asked Questions on labor laws (Idaho Department of Labor)
- Hourly
The current Idaho state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Other years
Every Idaho Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state