2021 Texas Minimum Wage
The 2021 Texas Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2021-01-01Source: Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2020
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2020.
| Item | 2020 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Non-exempt employees working in Texas
What changed this year, and why
The minimum wage in Texas for 2021 is $7.25 per hour. Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate.
Common questions
- Can employers count tips toward the minimum wage?
- Yes, with specified restrictions, employers may count tips and the value of meals and lodging toward the minimum wage.
- Are there workers who may be paid less than the minimum wage?
- Under specific conditions, an employer may pay below the minimum wage to a patient or client of the Texas Department of State Health Services, or to certain individuals due to age or productivity impairments.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state agency that provides information about the Texas minimum wage, including the current rate of $7.25 per hour adopted from federal law. Workers who believe they have been paid less than the minimum wage required by law have two options for seeking relief. You can file a wage claim with TWC, or you can file a lawsuit in civil court. Both avenues allow workers to recover unpaid wages. TWC provides resources and guidance on how to file a wage claim through its Wage & Hour Program. Workers should be aware that there are deadlines for filing claims and lawsuits, so it is important to act promptly if you believe you have been underpaid. TWC can help workers understand their rights under the Texas Minimum Wage Act and assist with the complaint process.
You can file a wage claim with TWC, or you can file a lawsuit in civil court.
Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
Texas does not set its own separate minimum wage; the Texas Minimum Wage Act adopts the federal rate. Under federal law, when a state has not established a minimum wage above the federal level, the federal rate of $7.25 per hour applies to covered employers. Texas chooses to follow the federal floor directly, so workers in Texas are entitled to at least $7.25 per hour under federal law. The state law does not add any higher wage requirement on top of that amount. This means there is no conflict between a Texas rate and a federal rate — they are the same. If Congress were to raise the federal minimum wage in the future, the rate in Texas would rise with it automatically, because the state statute ties itself to the federal figure. Employers in Texas who are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay at least $7.25 per hour, and the Texas Workforce Commission enforces this through its wage claim process.
Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate.
Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
Texas adopts the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. However, with specified restrictions, employers may count tips and the value of meals and lodging toward the minimum wage. This means that when an employee regularly receives tips, or when an employer provides meals or lodging as part of the compensation, those amounts can be credited against the employer's obligation to pay the full minimum wage in cash. The restrictions ensure that the employee still receives at least the minimum wage when tips and the fair value of meals or lodging are added together. Employers must follow these specific conditions before taking a tip credit or a meals-and-lodging credit. If the combined value of cash wages, tips, meals, and lodging falls below $7.25 per hour, the employer must make up the difference.
With specified restrictions, employers may count tips and the value of meals and lodging toward minimum wage.
Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
Texas has not set its own minimum wage rate. Instead, the state statute adopts the federal minimum wage rate, which is $7.25 per hour. Because Texas relies entirely on the federal floor rather than setting a separate state rate, there is no higher state minimum for Texas workers to rely on and no lower state minimum that would need to be overridden. The rule is straightforward: an employer in Texas must pay at least $7.25 per hour to non-exempt employees. The state law does not bar employers and employees from negotiating a higher wage through collective bargaining, but in the absence of such an agreement the federally set hourly rate is the binding floor in Texas.
Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)
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.
Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)
- Hourly
Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Other years
Every Texas Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state