2024 North Carolina Minimum Wage
The 2024 North Carolina Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2024-01-01Source: Minimum Wage in N.C. (North Carolina Department of Labor)Verified 2026-08-30
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
All employers doing business in North Carolina, including state, county, and local governments. Agricultural and domestic employees are subject to the federal minimum wage.
What changed this year, and why
North Carolina's minimum wage for 2024 remains $7.25 per hour, unchanged from 2023.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage for tipped employees?
- Employers must pay tipped employees a reduced cash wage, but each tipped employee must still receive at least the full minimum wage when tips are included. If tips fall short, the employer must make up the difference.
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
North Carolina’s statewide minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and the North Carolina Department of Labor states that this rate applies to the state itself, to counties, to local governments and to instrumentalities of government. Some states allow cities or counties to set a higher minimum wage for work performed within their borders, but the North Carolina page does not describe any authority for a local government to do so. For a worker in North Carolina, the practical result is that the rate they are owed is generally the same whether they work in a large city or a rural county: $7.25 an hour. If an employer in the state tells an employee that a city or county ordinance requires a different minimum, the worker should check with the North Carolina Department of Labor, because this page sets $7.25 as the statewide floor for covered employers and does not reference any separate local rate that would exceed it.
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
Workers and employers in North Carolina who have questions about the $7.25 state minimum wage, or who want to file a wage complaint, are directed by the North Carolina Department of Labor to its toll-free number, 1-800-NC-LABOR (1-800-625-2267). That line is the entry point for the state’s Wage and Hour division, which handles complaints about unpaid minimum wages, unpaid overtime, unauthorized deductions, and other violations of the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act. The Department also maintains a Wage and Hour Training Calendar and an Informational Presentation Calendar for employers and community groups that want guidance on compliance. A worker does not need to hire a lawyer before calling; the Department will take the complaint and may investigate. For issues that fall under federal law rather than state law — for example, minimum wage or overtime for agricultural or domestic employees, who are subject to the federal minimum wage in North Carolina — the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is the appropriate agency.
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)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
North Carolina law allows employers to count a portion of a tipped employee's tips toward the minimum wage obligation. The cash wage paid to a tipped employee must be at least $2.13 an hour, and the employee's tips must make up the difference so that total earnings reach at least $7.25 an hour. If tips in a given pay period fall short, the employer must pay the difference in cash wages. To take the tip credit, the employer must notify the tipped employee in advance, allow the employee to retain all tips, and keep accurate and complete records of tips received, certified by the employee monthly or each pay period. The North Carolina page addresses tips only and does not describe a credit for meals or lodging toward the minimum wage requirement.
In North Carolina, an employer MUST pay at least $2.13 an hour to tipped employees as long as each employee receives enough in tips to make up the difference between the wages paid and the minimum wage ($7.25).
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