2022 Missouri Minimum Wage
The 2022 Missouri Minimum Wage is $11.15.
Effective 2022-01-01Source: Minimum Wage Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)Verified 2026-08-30
Compared with 2021
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $10.30 | $11.15 | +$0.85 (+8.3%) |
Who it applies to
Private employers in Missouri, except retail and service businesses whose gross annual sales are below a statutory threshold
What changed this year, and why
Missouri's state minimum wage increased to $11.15 per hour on January 1, 2022, up from $10.30 per hour in 2021.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in Missouri?
- For tipped employees, total compensation including tips must reach at least the full minimum wage of $11.15 per hour. The employer must pay a cash wage and supplement it with tips so the total meets $11.15.
- Are all employers required to follow Missouri's minimum wage?
- No. The state minimum wage law does not apply to public employers. It also does not apply to retail and service businesses whose gross annual sales fall below a statutory threshold.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Missouri's 2022 minimum wage of $11.15 per hour does not apply to every worker. The state's minimum wage law explicitly covers only private employers, and it further exempts retail and service businesses whose gross annual sales fall below $500,000. Workers employed by those smaller retail or service operations are not guaranteed the $11.15 floor under Missouri law. In addition, public employers — meaning government entities at the state or local level — are entirely outside the scope of Missouri's minimum wage statute. Because the state law does not reach these categories, a Missouri worker in a small retail shop or a public-sector job may be paid less than $11.15 per hour, or may have their pay governed by a different set of rules such as the federal minimum wage. Employers and employees in these situations should check whether federal or other protections fill the gap left by the state law.
All private businesses are required to pay at a minimum, the $11.15 hourly rate, except retail and service businesses whose gross annual sales are less than $500,000. Missouri's minimum wage law does not apply to public employers, nor does it allow the state's minimum wage rate to be lower than the federal minimum wage rate.
Minimum Wage Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers and employers in Missouri with questions about the minimum wage can visit labor.mo.gov/DLS/MinimumWage to learn more and download the required workplace poster. The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations oversees enforcement of the state minimum wage law. Anyone who believes their employer is not paying the required $11.15 per hour, or who has other wage concerns, should contact the department to file a complaint or seek guidance on wage rights in Missouri.
To learn more about the minimum wage and to download a copy of the updated poster, visit labor.mo.gov/DLS/MinimumWage.
Minimum Wage Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
When a worker receives tips, Missouri law still requires that their total hourly earnings reach $11.15. Employers must pay tipped employees at least half of the minimum wage directly, which is 50 percent of $11.15, and then add whatever is needed so the combined total of wages and tips equals at least $11.15 per hour. This means an employer cannot use tips to reduce the base cash wage below half the minimum; the cash wage plus tips must always meet or exceed $11.15 for every hour worked.
Employers are required to pay tipped employees at least 50 percent of the minimum wage, plus any amount necessary to bring the employee’s total compensation to a minimum of $11.15 per hour.
Minimum Wage Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
In Missouri, the state minimum wage cannot fall below the federal minimum wage. If the federal floor were ever set higher than Missouri's rate, the federal amount would apply instead, ensuring workers receive at least that higher wage. Missouri's law also excludes public employers from its coverage entirely. This means the state rate functions as a backstop that tracks the federal minimum, so Missouri employees are guaranteed whichever amount is greater between the state and federal minimums. When the state rate is lower, workers in covered employment still receive the higher federal rate.
Missouri's minimum wage law does not apply to public employers, nor does it allow the state's minimum wage rate to be lower than the federal minimum wage rate.
Minimum Wage Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
Proposition B, passed by Missouri voters on November 6, 2018, sets the method for updating the state minimum wage each year. The law requires the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to adjust the rate using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). For 2022, this process produced a rate of $11.15 per hour, effective January 1, 2022. The adjustment is announced by the department before the new year so employers and workers know the new floor. The rule also required an 85-cent increase each year through 2023 before switching to the CPI-W method.
Pursuant to Proposition B, which was approved by Missouri voters on November 6, 2018, the minimum wage will increase 85 cents per hour each year through 2023.
Minimum Wage Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)
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 Rate Set for Private Employers for 2022 (Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations)
- Hourly
announces the state minimum wage rate for 2022 has been established, according to state law, at $11.15 per hour
Other years
Every Missouri Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state