Nebraska Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 Nebraska Minimum Wage is $15.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2025
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $13.50 | $15 | +$1.50 (+11.1%) |
Who it applies to
Employers in Nebraska at or above the employee headcount stated in the entry, and their employees. The entry opens with that coverage line and then gives the basic minimum rate, and it says nothing further. The table does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees, training wages for new hires, or any higher rate set by a local government.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Nebraska's basic minimum rate as $15.00 per hour, applicable to employers at or above the employee headcount the entry states. That coverage line and the rate are the whole of the Nebraska entry: it records no later step inside 2026, no premium-pay line and no adjustment formula, and 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 Nebraska in 2026?
- It is $15.00 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Nebraska in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The entry applies that rate to employers at or above a stated employee headcount, and the figure published here is taken from that entry and from no other source.
- Does the Nebraska minimum wage apply to every employer?
- The entry limits the rate to employers at or above a stated number of employees, in a coverage line placed above the rate. That headcount is given in the source entry rather than on this page. Most entries in the same table carry no coverage line of this kind at all, so this condition is the feature that distinguishes the Nebraska entry from them.
- Do Nebraska employers owe overtime after a weekly threshold?
- The table's Nebraska entry carries no premium-pay line. For most jurisdictions the entry states a weekly threshold of hours, and sometimes a daily one, after which premium pay is due; Nebraska's entry states none, so this page publishes no overtime threshold. Overtime in employment covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal question this table does not set out.
- Is the Nebraska minimum wage adjusted each year?
- The entry states no adjustment. Several other entries in the same table say inside the entry that the minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula; Nebraska's does not. This page publishes the rate the table listed as of July 1, 2026 and makes no claim about how or when the rate is recalculated, because the source document does not say.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage in Nebraska?
- The Department of Labor's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Nebraska and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The same table states plainly that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires as its examples, so a tipped provision would sit outside what this source records.
- Is Nebraska's minimum wage above the federal minimum wage?
- Yes. The same table cites the current federal minimum wage in its entries for states that have no minimum wage law of their own, and Nebraska's basic minimum rate is above that amount. Nebraska's entry carries no clause adopting the federal rate by reference, and none replacing the state rate when the federal rate is higher, which some other states' entries do carry.
- Does the Nebraska minimum wage change again during 2026?
- The table lists no scheduled change for Nebraska. Its entry carries a single basic minimum rate with no dated step attached, unlike the entries the department dates for some other states. 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 the new version.
- Where does the $15.00 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 Nebraska entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $15.00 above its stated employee headcount. The division notes on the same page that it tries to ensure the information is 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
Nebraska’s $15 hourly rate does not cover every worker in the state. The Fair Labor Standards Act and Nebraska’s own wage law allow several categories of employees to be paid at a subminimum rate. These include minors, students and trainees hired at a lower training wage for new employees. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division does not display these differential provisions in its state-by-state rate table, so workers and employers in Nebraska must consult the relevant state labor office or the Division directly to find out whether a particular employee qualifies for one of these lower rates. When none of these exemptions applies, however, covered employers must pay the full $15 an hour.
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
Even when a state adopts the federal minimum wage or sets its own statewide rate, a city, county, or other local government within that state may pass an ordinance requiring employers to pay a higher minimum wage. When a local rate exceeds the state rate, employers located within that jurisdiction must pay the local rate to covered workers; the higher local floor takes precedence inside its borders. The table on this page shows only statewide and federal rates, so a local minimum wage that is above the state rate will not appear here. Workers should check their municipal or county government's website or labor department to find out whether their locality has enacted a higher rate, and what the amount is. Employers operating in multiple localities must track each locality's rate and apply the highest one that covers each employee. The existence of a local rate does not reduce or cancel any other wage right, such as overtime coverage or state-mandated paid leave.
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
In Nebraska, most non-exempt workers earn overtime premium once they pass the weekly overtime threshold. The footnote that accompanies the state minimum wage table sets the rule: the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified. That means an employee paid the $15 state minimum wage receives one and one-half times that figure for every overtime hour. Nebraska's own overtime threshold is measured weekly, so employers may not average hours across two or more workweeks to avoid paying the premium. The rule applies whether the worker is paid an hourly wage or a salary, so long as no statutory exemption covers the position. Workers who believe their employer has underpaid overtime can file a complaint with the Nebraska Department of Labor 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 of the U.S. Department of Labor administers the federal minimum wage, but each state has its own labor office that enforces state minimum-wage laws, which may be higher than the federal rate or apply to employers not covered by federal law. When a worker has a question about which rate applies, how many hours count, or whether an exemption applies, the relevant state labor office is the place to get an authoritative answer for that state. A worker who believes an employer has paid less than the legally required wage may file a complaint with the state labor office, with the federal Wage and Hour Division, or with both, depending on which law was violated. The Wage and Hour Division operates a toll-free helpline and maintains district offices across the country; contact information is available on the Department of Labor's website. Retaliation against a worker for filing a wage complaint or asking about pay rights is itself illegal under federal and most state laws.
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
Nebraska Applicable to employers of 4 or more employees Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $15.00