2026 New Hampshire Minimum Wage
The 2026 New Hampshire Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in New Hampshire covered by the state minimum wage law. The Department of Labor's table gives the basic minimum rate with no employer-size condition attached, and states a weekly threshold after which premium pay is due. Its one further sentence about New Hampshire is the federal linkage clause: the state minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage when set below the federal rate. The table does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists New Hampshire's basic minimum rate as $7.25 per hour. The entry adds that the New Hampshire minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage when set below the federal rate, so the state figure tracks the federal one rather than moving on a schedule of its own. 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 New Hampshire in 2026?
- It is $7.25 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for New Hampshire in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The figure published here is taken from that entry and from nothing else, so it reflects the state rate as the department recorded it on that date.
- Is the New Hampshire minimum wage the same as the federal minimum wage?
- As the table records it, yes. The rate listed for New Hampshire, $7.25 per hour, is the same amount the same table cites as the federal minimum wage that employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay. The New Hampshire entry also states directly that the state minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage when set below the federal rate.
- What happens to the New Hampshire rate if the federal minimum wage rises?
- The entry states the rule but not its arithmetic: the New Hampshire minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage when set below the federal rate. This page is static and publishes the figure the table listed as of July 1, 2026. A change in the federal rate would not appear here until the department republishes the table and this record is verified against the new version.
- Does New Hampshire have its own minimum wage law?
- The table treats it as a state with a rate of its own. Several entries in the same table say plainly that the state has no minimum wage law, and give only the federal rate reaching employers through the Fair Labor Standards Act. New Hampshire's entry is not written that way: it lists a basic minimum rate, a premium pay threshold, and the clause linking the state rate to the federal one.
- Does New Hampshire require daily overtime?
- The entry states a weekly threshold after which premium pay is due, and no daily one. A handful of entries in the same table state both a daily and a weekly threshold; New Hampshire's is among the majority that state the weekly threshold alone. The hour count itself is a figure in the source that this page does not republish.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage for New Hampshire?
- The Department of Labor's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for New Hampshire and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The same table says 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.
- Does the New Hampshire minimum wage adjust for inflation each year?
- The table states an annual adjustment inside the entry itself for several states, naming a formula or a recalculation date. The New Hampshire entry contains no such statement. What it does state is the link to the federal rate, which is a different mechanism: the figure follows federal law rather than an index, as the source records it.
- Where does the $7.25 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 New Hampshire entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $7.25. 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
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour does not apply uniformly to every worker. Some states establish subminimum wage rates specifically for minors, for students, or for newly hired employees during a training period. Other states exempt these categories of workers from minimum wage coverage entirely. Because these special provisions vary by state and are not shown on this page, employers and workers in those categories should check their own state's rules to determine which rate applies. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act still requires covered employers to pay at least $7.25 per hour unless a valid state subminimum rate or exemption applies.
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
Cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions sometimes enact minimum wage rates that exceed the rate set by their state. When a local rate is higher than the state rate, employers in that locality must pay the higher local rate. This page lists only state-level rates and does not display local minimum wages, so workers and employers in cities or counties with their own wage laws need to look up the local ordinance separately. The local rate, not the state rate, governs the work performed within that jurisdiction.
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
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered nonexempt employees must receive overtime premium pay for hours worked beyond a standard weekly threshold. The footnote to this page states that the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay, unless a different rate is specified by law. This means the overtime hourly rate is multiplied by a factor of one and one-half compared with the employee's normal hourly earnings. Some states impose daily overtime requirements or higher premium multipliers, but the federal rule described here remains the baseline for employers subject to the FLSA. The overtime calculation is based on the employee's actual regular rate, which may include certain nondiscretionary bonuses and other compensation in addition to the stated hourly wage. Employers must keep accurate records of hours worked to ensure proper overtime payment.
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 maintains the information on this page but notes that the data should be confirmed with the relevant state labor office for official and current details. State agencies administer and enforce their own wage laws, which may differ from the federal rate of $7.25 per hour shown here. Workers who believe they have not been paid the correct minimum wage, or employers who need to confirm which rate applies to their workforce, should contact their state labor office directly. The Wage and Hour Division also operates a toll-free helpline for questions about federal wage and hour rules and accepts complaints from workers who believe their rights have been violated. Filing a complaint with the state labor office or the federal Wage and Hour Division is the appropriate step when a wage dispute cannot be resolved directly with the employer.
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)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
Under New Hampshire law, the state minimum wage is set at $7.25 per hour. The rule states that when the New Hampshire minimum wage is set below the federal rate, it equals the federal minimum wage instead. This means workers in New Hampshire are protected by whichever rate is higher. As of 2026, both rates are $7.25 per hour, so covered nonexempt employees in the state must be paid at least that amount. If the federal minimum wage were raised above the state rate in the future, New Hampshire employers would automatically be required to pay the higher federal amount. The rule ensures that workers in New Hampshire always receive the benefit of the stronger protection, whether it comes from state or federal law.
New Hampshire Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25 Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 The New Hampshire minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage when set below the federal rate.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
New Hampshire does not keep its minimum wage independent of the federal one: state law takes the federal figure by reference where the federal rate is the higher of the two. The rate on this page is $7.25 an hour, and it moves when the federal minimum moves rather than when New Hampshire legislates. That is worth knowing for two reasons. It means no New Hampshire bill is needed for your rate to rise - a federal increase reaches you automatically. And it means an employer cannot pay less by pointing at a lower state figure, because there is no lower state figure to point at. Where a state rate is the higher one, the state rate is what applies; that is simply not the position in New Hampshire today.
The New Hampshire minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage when set below the federal rate.
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
New Hampshire Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25
Other years
- 2026
Every New Hampshire Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state