2015 North Carolina Minimum Wage
The 2015 North Carolina Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2015-01-01Source: Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
All employees working in North Carolina, including those employed by the state, county and local governments, and instrumentalities of government. Agricultural and domestic employees are subject to the federal minimum wage.
What changed this year, and why
The minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in North Carolina?
- The minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour.
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
The state minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour, and this rate applies not only to private employers but also to the state itself, county governments, and local governments. If a city or county in North Carolina chooses to set a higher minimum wage for workers within its jurisdiction, employees in that locality are entitled to the higher local rate. The state floor of $7.25 per hour is the minimum that all covered employers must meet, but local governments have the authority to establish a rate above that floor for workers in their area. Workers in North Carolina should check whether their city or county has adopted a higher minimum wage, because the higher rate would be the one their employer must pay them.
The $7.25 per hour state minimum wage also applies to the state of North Carolina, to county and local governments and to instrumentalities of government.
Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
If you have questions about the minimum wage in North Carolina or need to file a wage complaint, the N.C. Department of Labor is the state agency responsible for enforcing wage and hour laws. You can reach them by calling their toll-free number at 1-800-NC-LABOR (800-625-2267). The department can provide information about workplace rights, explain how the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies to your situation, and help you understand what to do if you believe your employer has not paid you correctly. For workers in North Carolina, this is the primary state resource for wage-related questions and complaints.
For more information about workplace rights, please contact our toll free number at 1-800-NC-LABOR (800-625-2267).
Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
The page states the rule plainly: North Carolina's own minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and employers doing business in the state must pay at least that amount to every covered employee. The same $7.25 rate also applies to the state of North Carolina itself, to county and local governments, and to instrumentalities of government. The document notes that agricultural and domestic employees, rather than being covered by the state rate, are instead subject to the federal minimum wage. The page does not discuss a situation in which a state rate is higher than the federal rate and therefore displaces it; instead, North Carolina's state minimum wage is set at exactly the federal level of $7.25. A worker in North Carolina covered by the state law is owed $7.25 an hour, and because the federal floor is the same figure, the higher-rate scenario does not currently arise for North Carolina employees on this page.
The minimum wage in North Carolina is currently $7.25 an hour. Employers doing business in North Carolina are required to pay at least $7.25 per hour to all employees (agricultural and domestic employees are subject to the federal minimum wage). The $7.25 per hour state minimum wage also applies to the state of North Carolina, to county and local governments and to instrumentalities of government.
Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
North Carolina law allows employers with tipped employees to count a portion of the tips those employees receive toward meeting the minimum wage obligation. To take this tip credit, the employer must notify tipped employees in advance and allow them to retain all their tips. The employer must also keep accurate and complete records of tips received by each employee, and those tips must be certified by the tipped employees monthly or for each pay period. In businesses covered by NCDOL for minimum wage — generally those with less than $500,000 in gross sales — tip pooling is permitted as long as tipped employees retain at least 85 percent of the tips they receive. The employer must maintain accurate records of tips received and the amount earned under any tip pooling arrangement. The state minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour, and the tip credit reduces only the cash wage the employer must pay, not the total compensation the employee must receive.
In businesses that are covered by NCDOL for minimum wage (generally businesses that make less than $500,000 in gross sales), tip pooling is permitted as long as the tipped employees retain at least 85 percent of the tips they receive, which means the employer must maintain accurate and complete records of the tips received and the amount of tips earned under the tip pooling arrangement.
Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
North Carolina's minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. When a state sets its minimum wage below the federal minimum wage, the federal rate applies to covered employers. In North Carolina, the state rate and the federal rate are currently the same at $7.25 per hour. If North Carolina were to lower its state rate below the federal level, employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act would still be required to pay the higher federal rate. The principle is that workers in North Carolina are always entitled to the higher of the two rates — state or federal. Agricultural and domestic employees in North Carolina are subject to the federal minimum wage rather than the state rate, which means the federal floor governs their pay regardless of what the state sets.
Employers doing business in North Carolina are required to pay at least $7.25 per hour to all employees (agricultural and domestic employees are subject to the federal minimum wage).
Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina 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.
Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)
- Hourly
The minimum wage in North Carolina is currently $7.25 an hour.
Other years
Every North Carolina Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state