Minimum Wage and Overtime

Minimum wage and overtime rules set the floor for how much workers must be paid and when extra hours require extra pay. These protections come from a mix of federal and state law, and they touch nearly everyone who earns an hourly wage or a modest salary, from retail clerks to construction workers to tipped restaurant staff.

Setting the floor. The baseline wage a worker must receive is governed by federal law but often raised higher by states and cities, which means the actual minimum can vary a great deal depending on where you work. Read more in Minimum Wage in the U.S.: Federal and State Laws, and see the arguments on both sides of wage increases in Debate: Increasing the Minimum Wage.

Overtime and who qualifies. Not every worker is entitled to time-and-a-half pay; whether you qualify depends on your job duties and how you’re paid, not just your title. Learn the distinction in Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees: Understanding Your Rights Under the FLSA, how the math works in Calculating Overtime Pay: A Guide for Employers, and what salary rules apply in Decoding the FLSA Salary Threshold for Overtime Exemption.

Special pay situations. Certain jobs come with their own wage rules, including tipped work, where employers can count tips toward part of the minimum wage. See Understanding Tipped Employees, Tip Credits, and Minimum Wage for how that works, and Your Rights to Fair Pay for a broader look at what fair compensation means under the law.

If something goes wrong. Workers who suspect they haven’t been paid correctly can pursue a formal complaint, and the process for doing so and what happens afterward follows a defined path. Start with Am I Owed Overtime Pay? Understanding Your Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).