Connecticut minimum wage: $16.94 an hour, rising to $17.48 on January 1, 2027
Checked November 8, 2026Source: Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division
Short answer
Connecticut’s minimum wage is $16.94 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division.
Employers may pay tipped employees $6.38 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $16.94.
It rises to $17.48 on January 1, 2027, with a tipped cash wage of $6.38.
Get Connecticut rate alerts
One email when a rate, a law or a deadline changes. Free. Privacy.
- Minimum wage today
- $16.94
- Tipped employees, cash wage
- $6.38
- From January 1, 2027
- $17.48
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $35,235
We found no city or county in Connecticut with its own higher minimum wage.
What the January 1, 2027 raise costs you
The raise is $0.54 an hour for anyone paid less than the new rate on January 1, 2027.
- Added wages a year
- $842
- Employer Social Security and Medicare (FICA), 7.65%
- $64
- Total added cost a year
- $906
Counts only the raise for workers below the new rate, over 52 weeks. It leaves out raises you give others to keep pay gaps, and state unemployment tax, which usually stops at a wage cap.
Connecticut minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Tipped cash wage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027Upcoming | $17.48 | $6.38 | Announced August 5, 2026 (3.2% ECI increase). Tipped cash wages stay at $6.38 for waitstaff and $8.23 for bartenders: state law (section 31-60(d)) sets those dollar amounts and does not index them.source |
| January 1, 2026Current | $16.94 | $6.38 | Waitstaff $6.38 plus tips; bartenders $8.23 plus tips.source |
| January 1, 2025 | $16.35 | $6.38 | Tipped cash wage for restaurant and hotel waitstaff ($8.23 for bartenders); these cash amounts have not changed since 2019.source |
Adjusted every January 1 by the change in the federal Employment Cost Index for the 12 months ending June 30; the Labor Commissioner must announce it by October 15.
Before January 1, 2027
- Update every hourly rate below $17.48 in payroll so the first paycheck on or after that date is right.
- Replace the minimum wage poster with the new year’s version from the Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division.
Other Connecticut pay rules
- Paydays
- Weekly or every two weeks, on regular paydays set in advance. The Labor Commissioner can approve less frequent pay, but at least monthly.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Restaurants and hotel restaurants also owe time and a half the minimum wage for a 7th day in a row.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: By the next business day after the discharge. Quit: By the next regular payday.
From the Connecticut Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Connecticut employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to Connecticut
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
| State | Today | Next change |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 on January 1, 2027 |
| New York | $17.00$16.00 in the rest of the state | No raise on January 1, 2027 |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 on January 1, 2027 |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | None scheduled |
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in Connecticut in 2026?
Connecticut’s minimum wage is $16.94 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Connecticut?
Employers may pay tipped employees $6.38 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $16.94.
When does the Connecticut minimum wage go up next?
On January 1, 2027, to $17.48 an hour. Adjusted every January 1 by the change in the federal Employment Cost Index for the 12 months ending June 30; the Labor Commissioner must announce it by October 15.
Do cities in Connecticut have a higher minimum wage?
We found no city or county in Connecticut with a minimum wage above the state rate.
Does Connecticut require overtime pay?
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Restaurants and hotel restaurants also owe time and a half the minimum wage for a 7th day in a row.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Connecticut must do
Sources
- Connecticut Department of Labor, Wage and Workplace Standards Division
- Minimum Fair Wage Rates for Persons Employed in the Restaurant and Hotel Restaurant Occupations (DOL-79, rev. 1/26), Connecticut Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Tip Statement effective January 1, 2026, Connecticut Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut’s Minimum Wage Will Increase to $17.48 on January 1, 2027, Office of Governor Ned Lamont (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut’s Minimum Wage Will Increase to $16.94 on January 1, 2026, Office of Governor Ned Lamont (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Connecticut General Statutes section 31-60 (employer’s share of tipped wages: $6.38 and $8.23), Connecticut General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)