Texas Minimum Wage 2026
Current year
The 2026 Texas 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
Workers and employers in Texas, with a qualification the Department of Labor's table states directly: the state law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The table attaches no employer-size condition to the Texas entry and lists no premium pay provision for it.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists a basic minimum rate of $7.25 per hour for Texas. The same entry states that the Texas state minimum wage law does not contain current dollar minimums and that the state instead adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference, so the amount shown is the federal rate reaching Texas through that reference rather than a dollar figure Texas set for itself. 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 Texas in 2026?
- The Department of Labor's State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026, lists a basic minimum rate of $7.25 per hour for Texas. The same entry explains where that amount comes from: the Texas state minimum wage law contains no current dollar minimums, and the state adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference instead.
- Does Texas set its own minimum wage amount?
- No, and the table says so in the Texas entry itself. It states that the Texas state minimum wage law does not contain current dollar minimums, and that the state adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference. The $7.25 per hour figure listed for Texas is therefore the federal rate as adopted, not an amount the state legislature fixed in dollars.
- What happens to the Texas minimum wage if the federal rate changes?
- Because the state adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference rather than naming dollar minimums of its own, the amount the table lists for Texas follows the federal rate. The table does not describe any separate Texas process for setting a different number, and this page publishes only the amount verified against the table as it stood on July 1, 2026.
- Who is covered by the Texas state minimum wage law?
- The Department of Labor's Texas entry states that the state law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. That is a coverage rule about which law reaches a given job, and the table states it without listing which jobs fall on either side. The entry attaches no employer-size condition to the Texas rate.
- Is the Texas minimum wage adjusted for inflation each year?
- The same table states an annual adjustment formula inside the entry for several states. The Texas entry states no formula and no scheduled step. What it states instead is that the state has no dollar minimums of its own and adopts the federal rate by reference, so the listed amount does not move on a Texas schedule.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage for Texas?
- The department's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Texas and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The table also states that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires as examples.
- Do Texas cities set higher minimum wages than the state rate?
- The Department of Labor's table does not record that. It notes that some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage, and that such differential provisions are not displayed in the table. The figure on this page is the state-level basic rate only, so any local ordinance sits outside what this source establishes.
- Where does the $7.25 figure for Texas 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 Texas entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $7.25 and adds the sentences stating that the state law contains no current dollar minimums and adopts the federal rate by reference. The division notes 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
Although the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, certain categories of workers may be paid less under specific state laws. States have the authority to establish subminimum wage rates for minors, students, or new hires during a training period. Some states also exempt these workers from minimum wage coverage entirely. These special rates and exemptions are not reflected in the federal table, which displays only the standard minimum wage rates. Employers must determine whether their state allows a subminimum wage for the specific workers they employ and ensure they comply with both federal and state requirements. The existence of these provisions means that not every worker is entitled to the full $7.25 hourly rate, depending on their age, student status, or whether they are in a designated training period.
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
Cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions sometimes establish minimum wage rates that exceed both the state and federal minimums. When a local government adopts such a higher rate, employers within that locality must generally follow the local law rather than the lower state or federal figure. The table on this page shows only state-level and federal minimum wages. It does not capture the higher rates that may apply in specific cities or counties within a state. As a result, an employer located in a city with a local minimum wage that is higher than the state rate must pay the local rate to workers performing jobs within that jurisdiction. Workers who believe they are employed in an area with a higher local minimum should check the ordinances enacted by their city or county. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour sets the floor, but local rates can be substantially higher, and those local provisions are not reflected in this document.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage. Such differential provisions are not displayed in this table.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, covered nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime pay for hours worked beyond the standard full-time weekly threshold. The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified. This means that for every hour worked past the standard weekly limit, the employee receives at least one and one-half times their normal hourly rate. For a worker earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, the overtime rate would be proportionally higher for those extra hours. Some states or collective bargaining agreements may require overtime to be calculated differently - for example, after a certain number of hours in a single day. The footnote to the table clarifies that the one-and-one-half multiplier applies unless a different rule has been established by law or agreement. Workers and employers should verify whether any other provision modifies this standard overtime calculation for their particular situation.
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 table on this page is maintained by the Wage and Hour Division, an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor. While the Division attempts to keep the information accurate, it does not serve as the official source for every state's current minimum wage rules. Because state laws change frequently, the document advises that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information about the rate that applies in their jurisdiction. Workers who have questions about whether their employer is paying the correct minimum wage, who wish to file a complaint about unpaid wages, or who need clarification about overtime rules should contact their state's labor office. The state labor office can provide authoritative guidance on current rates, exemptions, and enforcement procedures. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is set by statute, but the details of how state rates interact with federal requirements are best confirmed directly with the appropriate state agency.
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)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
Texas sets its own basic minimum rate at $7.25 per hour, the same level as the federal floor. However, the Texas law works differently from states with their own higher rate: it excludes from coverage any employment already subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. In practice, the Texas minimum wage law does not contain its own current dollar minimums; instead, the State adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference. For covered workers in Texas, this means employers must pay at least $7.25 per hour under federal law, and the state law tracks that same amount rather than setting an independent figure above or below it. Employers in Texas who fall under the FLSA owe the federal rate; those outside the FLSA's coverage fall outside both the federal and state floors, though most Texas employers are covered. The operative minimum wage for Texas workers in 2026 is therefore $7.25 per hour, coming from the federal rate that Texas incorporates by reference.
Texas Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25 The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The Texas State minimum wage law does not contain current dollar minimums. Instead the State adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
Texas does not keep its minimum wage independent of the federal one: state law takes the federal figure by reference where the federal rate is the higher of the two. The rate on this page is $7.25 an hour, and it moves when the federal minimum moves rather than when Texas legislates. That is worth knowing for two reasons. It means no Texas bill is needed for your rate to rise - a federal increase reaches you automatically. And it means an employer cannot pay less by pointing at a lower state figure, because there is no lower state figure to point at. Where a state rate is the higher one, the state rate is what applies; that is simply not the position in Texas today.
The Texas State minimum wage law does not contain current dollar minimums. Instead the State adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference.
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
Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25 The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The Texas State minimum wage law does not contain current dollar minimums. Instead the State adopts the federal minimum wage rate by reference.
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.