2024 Iowa Minimum Wage
The 2024 Iowa Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2024-01-01Source: Wage Claims FAQ (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2023
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2023.
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees subject to the Iowa Minimum Wage Law
What changed this year, and why
Iowa's minimum wage for 2024
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Iowa for 2024?
- The minimum wage in Iowa is $7.25 per hour.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Iowa's minimum wage law does not provide for subminimum wages based on age, student status, or training programs. The state allows an "initial employment wage" of $6.35 per hour for the first 90 calendar days of employment with the same employer, but this is distinct from federal training wage provisions. Iowa law does not establish separate minimum wage rates for minors, students, or workers in training. The standard minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies to covered workers, with the only exception being the initial employment wage for new hires during their first 90 days. If you have questions about wage rates for specific categories of workers in Iowa, you should contact the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, which enforces the state's wage and hour laws.
An Iowa employer is allowed to pay an “initial employment wage” of $6.35 per hour for the first 90 days. Iowa’s “initial employment wage” is not the same thing as the federal “training wage” that allows certain employees to be paid less than minimum wage.
Wage Claims FAQ (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
For questions about Iowa's minimum wage rate or to file a wage complaint, contact the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL). This state agency enforces Iowa's wage and hour laws, including the $7.25 per hour minimum wage. DIAL handles complaints about unpaid wages, minimum wage violations, and other wage-related issues. You can file a wage claim through DIAL if you believe your employer has not paid you correctly. The agency also provides information about the initial employment wage, tip credits, and other wage provisions under Iowa law. If your question involves federal wage law or the federal training wage, you would need to contact the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division instead, as those are separate from Iowa's state requirements.
Information about the federal “training wage” can be obtained by contacting the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour office at 515-284-4625.
Wage Claims FAQ (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
In Iowa, tips can count toward meeting the minimum wage requirement under certain conditions. If you earn $30 per month or more in tips, your employer may pay you as little as $4.35 per hour. However, if your hourly wage plus tips do not average at least $7.25 per hour in any work week, your employer must pay the difference to bring your total compensation up to the minimum wage. The Iowa minimum wage document does not address whether the value of meals or lodging can be credited toward the minimum wage. For information about meal and lodging credits, you would need to consult federal regulations or contact the U.S. Department of Labor, as Iowa's state law does not specifically address these types of credits in the available documentation.
If you make $30 per month or more in tips, the employer may pay as little as $4.35 per hour. If in any work week the wage the employer pays you and the tips you receive do not average at least $7.25 per hour, the employer is required to pay the difference.
Wage Claims FAQ (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
Iowa law specifies what employers can and cannot deduct from employee wages. Permitted deductions include taxes, garnishments, and deductions for any lawful purpose that benefits the employee when the employee has provided written authorization. Examples of authorized deductions include insurance premiums, 401K contributions, pension plans, bonds, and savings programs. However, employers cannot deduct for cash shortages in common money tills, losses due to breakage or damage, acceptance of bad checks, customer credit defaults (except in limited cases), lost or stolen property (unless certain conditions are met), or personal protective equipment in most cases. Any deduction that would reduce an employee's pay below the $7.25 per hour minimum wage must comply with these restrictions. For specific exceptions and details, Iowa Code Chapter 91A.5 provides the complete list of allowable and prohibited deductions.
What can be deducted from my wages? Items on the following list can be deducted from wages. Taxes Garnishments Deductions for any lawful purpose accruing to the benefit of the employee if the employee has given written authorization for the deduction (for example, insurance, 401K, pensions, bonds and savings programs). Items on the following list cannot be deducted: Cash shortages in common money till. Losses due to breakage, damage, acceptance of bad checks, and default of customer credit except in certain limited cases. Lost or stolen property unless certain conditions are met. Personal protective equipment in most cases. For exceptions see Iowa Code Chapter 91A.5.
Wage Claims FAQ (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)
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.
Wage Claims FAQ (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)
- Hourly
What is the current minimum wage? $7.25 per hour.
Other years
Every Iowa Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state