Puerto Rico Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 Puerto Rico Minimum Wage is $10.50.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory the Department of Labor's table lists as a peer of the states. The entry opens by limiting the rate to employees covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, other than agricultural employees and employees of municipalities and of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It adds that employers covered by that Act but not subject to the Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act must pay at least the federal minimum wage, an amount stated in the table that this record does not verify and this page therefore does not restate.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Puerto Rico's basic minimum rate as $10.50 per hour. The entry records no dated step inside the year and no statement that the rate is recalculated on any cycle, 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 Puerto Rico in 2026?
- It is $10.50 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Puerto Rico 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 is the rate as the department recorded it on that date.
- Who does the Puerto Rico minimum wage apply to?
- The entry states that the rate applies to all employees covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, except for agricultural employees and employees of municipalities and of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Coverage is therefore written in the entry as a federal test with three exceptions named on top of it, rather than as an employer-size condition of the kind several state entries use.
- Are agricultural workers in Puerto Rico covered by this rate?
- The entry excepts agricultural employees from the group the rate applies to, along with employees of municipalities and of the Commonwealth. It says nothing about what those workers are paid instead, and this page does not either, because the table records no separate rate for them. The exception is the whole of what the Department of Labor's entry states on the point.
- What if a Puerto Rico employer is not subject to the Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act?
- The entry addresses that case directly: employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act but not subject to the Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act must pay at least the federal minimum wage. The table prints that federal amount, but it is not the figure this record verifies, so this page describes the requirement without restating the amount attached to it.
- When does overtime pay start in Puerto Rico?
- The entry states a daily threshold as well as a weekly one, and adds work on the statutory rest day, with premium pay at time and one-half. That is unlike most entries in the same table, which state a weekly threshold alone. The hour counts are figures in the table rather than figures this record verifies, so this page describes the thresholds without restating them.
- Do long-serving employees in Puerto Rico keep better terms?
- The entry states that employees entitled to greater rights or benefits who were hired before a date it names shall maintain those rights or benefits. It does not say what those rights or benefits are, or which employers they sit with, and this page does not add anything to it. The date itself is printed in the Department of Labor's table.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage in Puerto Rico?
- The Department of Labor's state table gives one basic minimum rate per hour for Puerto Rico 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.
- Where does the Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $10.50. The division notes on the same page that it tries to ensure the information there 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, state, and territory minimum wage rates shown on this page are the general baseline rates that apply to most covered workers. However, the law permits lower pay in limited, specific circumstances. Certain states allow employers to pay minors - workers below a defined age threshold - a subminimum hourly rate that falls below the standard minimum, including the $10.50 rate listed for 2026. Student workers, particularly those employed in school-week or summer roles, may also qualify for a reduced rate in some jurisdictions. In addition, some states operate a training wage, which allows employers to pay newly hired employees a lower hourly amount for an initial period while they learn the job. A few states exempt certain categories of workers from minimum-wage coverage altogether. Because these exceptions vary by state and by the type of worker, the table on this page does not show them; the special subminimum and training rates are governed by individual state statutes rather than by the general rate displayed here.
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 minimum wage rates listed on this page reflect state and federal standards, but they are not necessarily the highest rate a worker may be entitled to receive. In many areas, a city, county, or other local government has adopted its own minimum wage that is higher than the surrounding state's rate. When such a local rate applies, the employer must generally pay the highest of the three figures - the federal, state, or local minimum. Because local minimum wage ordinances change frequently and vary block by block or municipality by municipality, this page does not display those local rates. Workers in jurisdictions with a local floor above $10.50 - the 2026 rate shown here - may be owed more than the state or federal figure. The Wage and Hour Division notes that these differential local provisions are omitted from the table, so employees and employers in affected areas should check their city or county code or contact the relevant local agency to confirm the rate that actually governs their pay.
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 rates displayed on this page - including the $10.50 hourly figure for 2026 - represent the base pay for ordinary working hours. When a covered, non-exempt employee works beyond the standard weekly hours threshold, those extra hours must be paid at a premium. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, that premium is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for every overtime hour worked. The overtime premium is calculated on the employee's actual regular rate, which can include hourly wages, piece rates, commissions, and certain non-discretionary bonuses - not simply on the published minimum wage figure. Some states impose daily overtime thresholds or stricter rules, and a few exempt certain job categories from overtime altogether. The footnote on this page confirms the one-and-one-half multiplier as the standard federal overtime formula, but workers and employers should check whether their state's law applies a different threshold or a different calculation for particular industries or roles.
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 minimum wage figures published on this page are compiled and maintained by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Division makes reasonable efforts to keep the listed state, federal, and territorial rates current, but it explicitly notes that the table is not a substitute for official confirmation. Because state rates can change during a year, and because special subminimum, training, youth, and local rates are not captured in the table, workers and employers who need authoritative guidance on a particular rate should consult the relevant state labor office for official information. That office can confirm the rate in effect on a given date, explain any exemptions that apply, and advise on how to file a wage complaint if an employee believes they have been underpaid. For issues arising under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act rather than state law, the Wage and Hour Division itself handles complaints and can be reached through its national toll-free line or through its district offices located across the country.
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)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
When a state or territory's minimum wage is lower than the federal rate, employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must generally pay the federal minimum wage instead. Puerto Rico's basic minimum rate is $10.50 per hour, which exceeds the federal floor of $7.25, so covered workers receive the higher territorial rate. However, employers in Puerto Rico who are covered by the FLSA but not subject to the Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act must pay at least $7.25 per hour. This ensures that all workers covered by federal law receive at least the federal minimum, regardless of what their state or territory sets.
Employers covered by the FLSA but who are not subject to the Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
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
Puerto Rico Applicable to all employees covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) except for agricultural employees and employees of municipalities and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $10.50