2023 Rhode Island Minimum Wage
The 2023 Rhode Island Minimum Wage is $13.
Effective 2023-01-01Source: Minimum Wage (Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training)Verified 2026-08-30
Who it applies to
Employers and workers in Rhode Island subject to the state minimum wage under RI General Law §28-12
What changed this year, and why
Rhode Island's minimum wage rate for 2023
Common questions
- What was the minimum wage in Rhode Island in 2023?
- Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum wage in Rhode Island was $13 per hour.
- Are any workers exempt from the Rhode Island minimum wage?
- Yes. Certain workers are exempt in specific situations, including federal government employees, volunteers for charities, schools, religious groups, or nonprofits, newspaper carriers delivering papers to homes, shoe shiners, golf course caddies, ushers at live theaters, outside salespeople, and family employees such as a parent hiring their child or a child hiring their parent.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers in Rhode Island with questions about the minimum wage or who believe they have not been paid the required $13 per hour should contact the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. The department is located at 1511 Pontiac Ave, Cranston, RI 02920, and can be reached by TTY through Relay RI at 711. The department handles wage complaints and can provide guidance on minimum wage requirements, exemptions, and special rates. Rhode Island workers can also access online help forms for unemployment insurance claims, temporary disability insurance, and employer-related questions through the department's website. The Department of Labor and Training enforces Rhode Island's minimum wage laws and investigates complaints about unpaid wages.
Department of Labor and Training 1511 Pontiac Ave Cranston, RI 02920 TTY (Relay RI): 711
Minimum Wage (Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
Rhode Island law allows employers in certain tipped occupations to count tips toward the minimum wage obligation. Workers in jobs such as waitstaff and hotel employees may receive a lower direct cash wage from their employer because tips make up part of their total compensation. However, the total amount a tipped worker receives, combining the employer's cash payment and the tips earned, must always reach at least $13 per hour for every hour worked. If the employee's tips combined with the cash wage fall short, the employer is required to make up the difference. Rhode Island's tip credit rules do not apply to taxi drivers or some small public vehicles. Employers using a tip credit must carefully track both the cash wage paid and the tips received to ensure compliance. Workers who believe their employer is not meeting the $13 per hour floor should contact the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
Employers can count tips toward wages
Minimum Wage (Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training)
How the rate is adjusted each year, and who announces it
Rhode Island's minimum wage rate is set by statute rather than adjusted annually for inflation. RI General Law §28-12 establishes a fixed schedule of increases through 2027. The minimum wage was $13 per hour commencing January 1, 2023, and is scheduled to increase to $14 in 2024, $15 in 2025, $16 in 2026, and $17 in 2027. Unlike some states that tie their minimum wage to a cost-of-living index, Rhode Island's rate changes are determined by the legislature through amendments to the statute. Once the scheduled increases are complete in 2027, future adjustments would require new legislation. Rhode Island workers and employers can rely on the published schedule to know what the minimum wage will be each year through 2027. The state does not currently use automatic inflation adjustments based on consumer price indices to change the minimum wage rate.
Per RI General Law §28-12, the minimum wage is set to increase to the following in the upcoming years. Commencing January 1, 2027: $17.00 per hour Commencing January 1, 2026: $16.00 per hour Commencing January 1, 2025: $15.00 per hour Commencing January 1, 2024: $14.00 per hour Commencing January 1, 2023: $13.00 per hour
Minimum Wage (Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training)
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 (Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training)
- Hourly
Commencing January 1, 2023: $13.00 per hour
Other years
Every Rhode Island Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state