2016 Utah Minimum Wage
The 2016 Utah Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2016-01-01Source: Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Utah subject to the Utah Minimum Wage Act
What changed this year, and why
Utah's minimum wage for 2016
Common questions
- What was the minimum wage in Utah in 2016?
- The minimum wage in Utah in 2016 was $7.25 per hour.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Utah law allows employers to pay certain workers less than the standard minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Minors under the age of 18 may be paid a training wage of $4.25 per hour during the first 90 days of their employment. After that 90-day period, the employer must pay the full minimum wage. In addition, employees who receive tips of at least $30.00 per month may be paid a base cash wage of $2.13 per hour, but only if the combination of that base wage plus the tips earned brings the worker's total hourly earnings to at least $7.25. These are the only subminimum wages permitted under Utah law. There is no separate student wage or training wage for adult workers, and any employer paying below the standard rate must ensure the worker falls within one of these specific categories and that all conditions are met.
The Utah minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Minor employees (under 18 years of age) may be paid $4.25 per hour, as a training wage, for the first 90 days of employment. Employees receiving tips of at least $30.00 per month may be paid a cash wage of $2.13 per hour, if the total of the cash wage and the tips total at least $7.25 per hour.
Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
The State of Utah does not have its own overtime law. Overtime pay is a provision of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Under that federal law, covered nonexempt employees must receive a premium of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for overtime hours worked. In Utah, overtime claims are handled by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, which can be reached at the telephone number listed in the Division's FAQ section. The Utah Labor Commission's Wage Claim Unit does not handle overtime claims against private employers. Workers employed by the state, a county, or a city must follow their employer's own grievance procedures.
The State of Utah has no overtime law. You should contact the U.S. Department of Labor at (801) 524-5706 about filing an overtime claim.
Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
Workers in Utah who have wage disputes should contact the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division's Wage Claim Unit. The Division's Wage Claim Unit is responsible for administering and enforcing the state's wage laws, including the Payment of Wages Act, the Utah Minimum Wage Act, and the Employment of Minors Act. To file a wage claim, a worker must complete a Wage Claim Assignment Form, which can be downloaded from the division's website, hand-delivered, mailed, or faxed to the office. The form can also be submitted online. A Wage Intake Officer can answer questions about completing the form and ensuring all required information and supporting documents are provided. Once a complete claim is submitted, it is assigned a case number and an investigator reviews the written submissions from both the employee and employer before issuing a preliminary finding on whether wages are owed.
The focus of the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD) Wage Claim Unit is to administer and enforce certain State labor laws. The applicable statutes and administrative rules include: Payment of Wages Act, Utah Code Ann. §34-28-1 et-seq. Utah Minimum Wage Act, Utah Code Ann. §34-40-101 et seq. The Employment of Minors Act, Utah Code Ann. §34-23-101 et seq.
Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
Utah employers must comply with both state and federal wage laws when both apply, and they must follow whichever standard is stricter. Because Utah has not enacted its own minimum wage statute that sets a rate above the federal floor, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is the enforceable standard in the state. If Utah were to pass a law setting a higher minimum wage in the future, employers would be required to pay that higher state rate. Conversely, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act sets the baseline floor nationwide, and no employer in Utah may pay less than $7.25 per hour regardless of any conflicting state provision. Workers in Utah should understand that both laws exist and that the higher of the two rates always controls.
Employers must comply with both laws if both laws apply. An employer should examine the guidelines under both State and Federal law and comply with the standard which is the strictest.
Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
In Utah, employees who receive at least $30.00 per month in tips may be paid a cash wage of $2.13 per hour by their employer, but only if the combination of that cash wage plus the tips earned totals at least $7.25 per hour. If a tipped worker's tips plus the $2.13 base wage do not reach the full minimum wage in any workweek, the employer must make up the difference. This is the only provision in Utah law that allows tips to count toward meeting the minimum wage requirement. The document does not address whether the value of meals or lodging provided by an employer can be credited against the minimum wage in Utah. Tipped employees in Utah must receive at least the full minimum wage of $7.25 per hour when their cash wage and tips are combined.
Employees receiving tips of at least $30.00 per month may be paid a cash wage of $2.13 per hour, if the total of the cash wage and the tips total at least $7.25 per hour.
Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)
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.
Wage Claim (Utah Labor Commission, Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division)
- Hourly
The minimum wage in Utah is $7.25 per hour.
Other years
Every Utah Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state