2022 Texas Minimum Wage
The 2022 Texas Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2022-01-01Source: Texas Minimum Wage Law (Texas Workforce Commission)Verified 2026-09-01
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
Non-exempt employees in Texas and their employers
What changed this year, and why
Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate, which is $7.25 per hour for non-exempt employees in 2022.
Common questions
- Does Texas set its own minimum wage?
- No. Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate rather than setting a separate state rate.
- Can employers count tips toward the minimum wage?
- Yes, with specified restrictions, employers may count tips and the value of meals and lodging toward minimum wage.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The Texas Workforce Commission is the state agency responsible for minimum wage matters. The Texas Minimum Wage Act itself indicates Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the agency who provides information about state minimum wage requirements. If a worker or employer has a question about whether the $7.25 per hour rate applies, what exemptions exist, or how the tip credit works, TWC is the place to start. TWC also handles wage complaints. A worker who believes they have been paid below the required rate can file a wage claim with TWC within a set deadline, or may file a lawsuit in civil court to recover unpaid wages plus an equal amount as liquidated damages, and potentially reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. The act itself sets out these remedies along with the exemptions and wage floor that TWC administers and explains.
Indicates Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the agency who provides information about state minimum wage requirements.
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. When a worker receives tips from customers, the employer does not have to ignore those tips when figuring whether the wage floor was met. With specified restrictions, employers may count tips and the value of meals and lodging toward minimum wage. In practice, this means an employer can credit a portion of the cost of meals or lodging furnished to the employee, as well as the tips the employee receives, against the $7.25 hourly obligation. The restrictions are important: the credit is not unlimited, and the employer must still be able to show that the employee's cash wage plus the credited tips and the reasonable value of meals or lodging add up to at least the minimum wage for every hour worked. If the tips in a given pay period fall short, the employer must make up the difference with additional cash pay. These rules track the federal Fair Labor Standards Act tip-credit and credit-for-facilities framework, which Texas incorporates by reference through its adoption of the federal rate.
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
In Texas, the state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which matches the federal minimum wage. Texas does not set its own higher rate. When a state sets a minimum wage below the federal floor, the federal rate prevails and employers must pay at least the federal amount. Because Texas adopts the federal rate rather than setting a lower one, the $7.25 floor applies to covered non-exempt employees throughout the state. The Texas Minimum Wage Act does allow certain exemptions and limited situations where an employer may pay below the minimum wage, but for most workers the federal rate is the enforceable standard. Workers in Texas should know that the $7.25 hourly rate is the legal minimum for their pay.
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