2022 Pennsylvania Minimum Wage
The 2022 Pennsylvania Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2022-01-01Source: Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)Verified 2026-09-03
Compared with 2021
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2021.
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees covered by the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act
What changed this year, and why
Pennsylvania's minimum hourly wage is $7.25 for 2022.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Pennsylvania?
- The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 per hour for 2022.
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
The $7.25 on this page is Pennsylvania's statewide rate, and it is the one the Department of Labor & Industry enforces. A Pennsylvania city can carry requirements of its own on top of it: the department tells workers in the City of Philadelphia that additional requirements may apply to certain persons there and sends them to the city government's website to find them. What the department will not do is enforce those requirements. It says so plainly, that it does not enforce city ordinances and that you must contact the City of Philadelphia, which means a local rule is a question for the city while the statewide rate is what a complaint to the state can be about.
There may be additional requirements for certain persons within the City of Philadelphia. You can find information on the City of Philadelphia city government website. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry does not enforce city ordinances. You must contact the City of Philadelphia.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Act, most employees must receive overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. The law requires employers to pay overtime at one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for each hour worked beyond that 40-hour threshold. This means that if an employee's regular hourly wage is $7.25, their overtime rate would be higher than that base amount. While some employees - such as those in executive, administrative, or professional roles - may be exempt from overtime if they meet specific duties tests and salary requirements, the general rule is that overtime work must be compensated at this premium rate. Job titles alone do not determine whether someone qualifies for overtime; the actual daily job duties and salary level are what matter.
Most employees in Pennsylvania must be paid overtime compensation. Overtime compensation is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 per week. Under the Minimum Wage Act, certain employees may be not entitled to overtime because they fall into the executive, administrative, or professional exemption (EAP exemption), but only if certain requirements are met.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers who believe they have not been paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, or who have not received proper overtime compensation, can file a wage claim with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. The Department recommends filing within two years from the date the work was performed, and encourages workers to file as soon as possible. Acting promptly matters because employers are only required to keep payroll records for three years, and as time passes it becomes more difficult for the Department to collect unpaid wages on the worker's behalf. Once a claim is filed, the Department will review it, but it may refuse to accept the claim if there is insufficient evidence or if the claim is not valid under the law. If the claim is accepted and found to be valid, the Department will work to recover the unpaid wages from the employer, though the time this takes can vary from days to months.
If you were not paid at least the minimum wage or you were not paid correctly for your overtime hours, you should try to file a wage claim within two years from the date the work was actually performed. However, you should file a claim as soon as you can. Since your employer is only required to keep its records for three years, it is more difficult for the Department of Labor & Industry to collect your wages as time passes.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
A worker in Pennsylvania is covered by the state's Minimum Wage Act and by federal wage law at the same time, and the Department of Labor & Industry states the rule for that overlap: federal law may differ from state law, and the more restrictive of the two will apply. More restrictive means the one that leaves the employee better off, so where a state rate stands above the federal one the state rate is what an employer has to pay, and where it does not the federal rate is. Pennsylvania's rate is $7.25 per hour. The department sends questions about federal law itself to the United States Department of Labor, and it notes that many issues may also be specifically addressed by collective bargaining agreements and private contracts.
FEDERAL LAW MAY DIFFER FROM STATE LAW. THE MORE RESTRICTIVE OF THE TWO WILL APPLY. CONTACT THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF FEDERAL LAW. MANY ISSUES MAY ALSO BE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED BY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND PRIVATE CONTRACTS.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
When an employer makes deductions from an employee's wages, there are strict limits on what can be taken and how much. Under Pennsylvania law, employees may give written authorization for their employer to deduct certain amounts - such as repayments for a loan from the employer or payments to a third party the employee borrowed from - but a blanket authorization signed at the time of hire covering future deductions is not valid. Normal tax deductions are always required. The most important protection is that, as a general rule, deductions cannot reduce an employee's gross pay below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and any deductions made must be for the employee's benefit. This means that even if an employee has agreed in writing to a deduction, the employer cannot take so much from the paycheck that the employee's remaining earnings fall below the minimum hourly rate.
You must give written authorization to your employer to make such non-tax related deductions. It is not valid to sign a "blanket" authorization at the time of hire to cover any future deductions. Further, as a rule, deductions cannot reduce your gross pay below minimum wage, and the deductions must be for the employee's benefit. What Kind of Information is My Employer Supposed to Put on My Pay Stub?
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
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.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
- Hourly
What is the Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania? The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 per hour.
Other years
Every Pennsylvania Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state