Pennsylvania Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 Pennsylvania Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2025
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2025.
| Item | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Pennsylvania subject to the state minimum wage law. The Department of Labor's table gives Pennsylvania's basic minimum rate with no employer-size condition attached, unlike its entries for several other states, and it lists premium pay after a designated number of weekly hours as a requirement separate from the hourly minimum.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Pennsylvania's basic minimum rate as $7.25 per hour, the same amount the table gives elsewhere as the current federal minimum wage. The Pennsylvania entry records no later step inside the year, 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 Pennsylvania in 2026?
- It is $7.25 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Pennsylvania in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The figure published here is read from that entry alone, so it reflects the state rate as the department recorded it on that date.
- Is Pennsylvania's minimum wage the same as the federal minimum wage?
- The two amounts match in this table. The department lists Pennsylvania's basic minimum rate as $7.25 per hour, and in its entries for states with no minimum wage law of their own the same table gives the current federal minimum wage as $7.25 per hour. The amounts are equal, which is not the same as the state rate being tied to the federal one.
- Does Pennsylvania law adopt the federal minimum wage by reference?
- The Pennsylvania entry does not say so. Several other states' entries in the same table carry an explicit clause, stating that the state adopts the federal rate by reference or that the state minimum is replaced when the federal rate is higher. Pennsylvania's entry contains no such clause; it lists a basic minimum rate and premium pay after designated weekly hours.
- Which Pennsylvania employers have to pay the minimum wage?
- The table's Pennsylvania entry states a basic minimum rate with no employer-size condition attached to it. For several other states the same table opens the entry with a coverage line limiting it to employers above a stated headcount, and Pennsylvania's entry carries no such line. The table does not reproduce the exemptions written into the state statute.
- Does the Pennsylvania minimum wage change again during 2026?
- The Department of Labor's table lists no scheduled change for Pennsylvania. Its entry gives a single basic minimum rate with no dated step attached, unlike the entries the department dates for some other states. An increase 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 it again.
- Is the Pennsylvania minimum wage adjusted for inflation each year?
- The same table states an annual adjustment formula inside the entry for several states. The Pennsylvania entry contains no such statement. This page therefore publishes the rate the table listed as of July 1, 2026 and makes no claim about whether or how the rate is recalculated, because the source document describes no method.
- Is there a separate tipped or training wage for Pennsylvania?
- The department's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Pennsylvania and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The table states outright that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students, training wages for new hires, and higher local government rates as the examples.
- 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 Pennsylvania entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $7.25. The division notes on that page that it tries to keep the information 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 applies to covered employers nationwide. However, certain categories of workers may lawfully be paid less than that amount. States have the authority to establish subminimum wage rates specifically for minors - for example, youth under a certain age who are not yet full participants in the labor force - and for students who are enrolled in school and working part time. In addition, some states provide a training wage, sometimes called a learner's wage, that allows employers to pay a lower hourly rate to newly hired employees during an initial orientation or training period. Other states may exempt these groups entirely from their minimum wage requirements, meaning neither the federal floor nor a state floor would apply to them. The table on this page does not show these special provisions. Employers who hire young people, students, or new trainees need to check their own state's rules to determine whether a reduced rate is permitted and, if so, what conditions must be met to qualify for it.
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
The $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage is only a floor. Cities, counties, and other local governments are free to enact their own minimum-wage ordinances that require employers in their jurisdiction to pay a higher hourly rate than either the federal or the state minimum wage. When a local minimum wage is higher than the state rate, the employer generally must pay the highest of the three - federal, state, and local - that applies to the worker. The table on this page shows only the state and federal rates; it does not list the higher local rates that may be in effect in particular cities or counties. An employer with workers in multiple jurisdictions must therefore check the ordinances of each city or county where work is performed. Workers who believe their employer is paying a rate below the local minimum should raise the issue with the local agency that enforces the ordinance, in addition to the state labor office and the federal Wage and Hour Division.
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
The federal overtime rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act requires that covered, non-exempt employees in Pennsylvania receive extra pay for hours worked beyond the standard full-time week. The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified. For a worker earning Pennsylvania's $7.25 hourly minimum wage, this means overtime hours must be paid at a higher hourly amount. Employers in Pennsylvania that are subject to the FLSA must follow this requirement regardless of what state law says, because the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets the overtime standard nationwide. The footnote applies across the entire state table published by the Department of Labor.
1 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
Although the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor publishes the rates shown on this page and works to keep them current, the definitive source for any particular state's minimum wage is the state labor office itself. Individuals - whether workers who believe they are being underpaid or employers who want to confirm their obligations - should consult the relevant state labor office for official information. State offices can confirm the exact rate that applies, whether any exemptions or subminimum provisions are available, and how state overtime rules interact with the federal floor. A wage complaint about unpaid or underpaid wages can also be directed to the Wage and Hour Division, which enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act, or to the appropriate state agency where the violation involves a state-level requirement.
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
Pennsylvania Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25
By year
Every published year
12 years on record, 2026 back to 2015. Each year links to its own page, its own document and its own verification date.