2025 West Virginia Minimum Wage
The 2025 West Virginia Minimum Wage is $8.75.
Effective 2025-01-01Source: Minimum Wage (West Virginia Division of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2024
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2024.
| Item | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $8.75 | $8.75 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers in West Virginia with six or more non-exempt employees working at any one separate, distinct, and permanent work location.
What changed this year, and why
West Virginia's state minimum wage is $8.75 per hour for 2025.
Common questions
- When does the federal minimum wage apply instead?
- If fewer than six non-exempt employees work at a single location, the federal minimum wage applies because it is lower than the state rate.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
The $8.75 hourly rate does not apply to every worker in West Virginia. The state minimum wage statute lists categories of workers who are considered "exempt" and therefore may be paid below the standard rate. One of these is the training wage, which applies to younger workers during their first period of employment. Because federal standards for training wages are equal to or greater than West Virginia's, the United States Department of Labor has jurisdiction over training wages in the state. A worker in West Virginia who meets the age threshold for a training wage during the initial period of a new job may be paid a rate lower than $8.75 per hour under federal rules. For other subminimum categories, such as minors or students with special certificates, an employer would need to consult the USDOL Wage & Hour Division to determine whether a subminimum rate applies. Workers in West Virginia who believe they may qualify for a subminimum wage should contact the appropriate agency to confirm their status.
The West Virginia Minimum Wage statute lists several categories of workers that are not considered “employees” for the purpose of minimum wage enforcement. An employee that meets the conditions to qualify for one of those categories is considered “exempt” from state minimum wage requirements.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
In West Virginia, questions about the state minimum wage and complaints about wage violations are handled by the United States Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, as referenced on the state's own minimum-wage FAQ. Workers who believe their employer has paid less than West Virginia's $8.75 per hour minimum, or who have questions about whether the state or federal rate applies to them, can contact that agency at www.dol.gov or by calling 866-487-9243 (866-4USWAGE) for information on federal and state minimum-wage jurisdiction. The same contact information applies to questions about federal training wages and tip-credit rules, areas where West Virginia defers to federal standards. Employees working at a location with at least six non-exempt workers should be paid at least the state rate; those at smaller locations may fall under federal rules and should reach out to the Wage and Hour Division for guidance on their specific situation.
For information concerning federal minimum wage jurisdiction, contact the United States Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division. Contact information for that agency is as follows: www.dol.gov – 866 487 9243 (866–4USWAGE)
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
When both federal and state minimum wage laws apply, the higher rate is the one that must be paid to employees. In West Virginia, the state minimum wage of $8.75 per hour currently exceeds the federal rate, so employers covered by state law must pay at least $8.75. However, if an employer does not meet the state’s six-employee threshold at a particular work location, federal minimum wage rules may still apply to those workers. This means that even in a state with its own minimum wage law, some employees may fall under federal jurisdiction depending on the size and nature of their employer. Workers in West Virginia should understand that the higher of the two rates—state or federal—always controls, and that coverage depends on factors like the number of employees at a given location and whether federal enterprise or interstate commerce standards are met.
As the state minimum wage requirement is currently higher than the federal, the state minimum wage will apply in all cases where there are at least six non-exempt employees working at one location.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
In West Virginia, the state minimum wage standards allow employers a 70% credit against the minimum wage requirement for service employees who receive tips. This means that employers may pay tipped workers a lower direct cash wage, as long as the employee's hourly cash wage plus reported tips equals at least $8.75 per hour. In addition to tip credits, employers may also take meal credits: when meals are provided and the employee works a full eight hours, the employer may deduct a meal credit from wages without obtaining written authorization; if the employee works less than eight hours but still eats, a smaller hourly meal credit may apply. However, if the employee does not eat the meal provided, the employer may not take a meal credit deduction. These allowances mean that the cash wage actually received by a worker in West Virginia can be lower than the standard minimum when tips, meals, or lodging are properly counted as part of total compensation, provided all legal conditions are satisfied.
West Virginia’s minimum wage standards allow employers a 70% credit against the minimum wage requirement for their service employees that receive tips.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
West Virginia law places limits on what employers may deduct from an employee's wages when those deductions would bring pay below the minimum wage. While employers are permitted to take certain credits—such as a meal credit for employees who work a full eight hours and eat the provided meal—these deductions are only allowed if the employee actually receives the benefit. If the employee does not eat the meal, the employer may not take the credit. Deductions for tips that were not actually received are also prohibited unless the employer has written tip records completed by the employee. Any deduction that reduces wages below $8.75 per hour must be carefully evaluated, and workers in West Virginia should review whether their employer's deductions comply with state rules before accepting reduced pay.
the employer may deduct $4.00 per day as a meal credit from the employee’s wages without obtaining written authorization
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)
Why the federal rate applies when the state rate is lower
In West Virginia, if the state minimum wage were ever set below the federal minimum wage, the federal rate would still apply to covered workers. Federal law establishes a floor that states cannot go beneath; employers must pay at least the federal amount even if state law sets a lower figure. Currently, West Virginia’s state rate of $8.75 per hour is higher than the federal rate, so the state figure controls for employers covered under state law. However, for employers that do not meet the six-employee threshold at a given work location, federal jurisdiction may apply instead, and the federal minimum wage rate becomes the binding standard. Workers in West Virginia should understand that the federal rate acts as a backstop ensuring no covered employee is paid less than the nationally established minimum, regardless of what state law says.
However, if the six employee requirement is not met, the federal minimum wage may still apply.
Minimum Wage FAQ (West Virginia Division of Labor)
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 (West Virginia Division of Labor)
- Hourly
the state minimum wage of $8.75 will apply
Other years
Every West Virginia Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state