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The Mandate Monitor

Delaware minimum wage: $15.00 an hour

Checked November 7, 2026Source: Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs

Short answer

Delaware’s minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2025, according to the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs.

Employers may pay tipped employees $2.23 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $15.00.

Does your payroll handle Delaware’s programs? See the free state route and the 7 payroll systems with help docs that cover them.

On your payroll in Delawareper hour
Minimum wage today
$15.00
Tipped employees, cash wage
$2.23
Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
$31,200

We found no city or county in Delaware with its own higher minimum wage.

Delaware minimum wage by date

EffectiveMinimum wageTipped cash wageNote
January 1, 2025Current$15.00$2.23Final scheduled step; state law has no inflation indexing. Tipped workers: $2.23 cash wage.source
January 1, 2024$13.25$2.23source

Other Delaware pay rules

Paydays
At least once a month on regular paydays set in advance, within 7 days after the pay period ends.
Overtime
Follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. No separate state overtime rule.
Final paycheck
Fired: By the next regular payday or 3 business days after the last day worked, whichever is later. Quit: By the next regular payday or 3 business days after the last day worked, whichever is later.

From the Delaware Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Delaware employer rules.

Minimum wage in states next to Delaware

If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.

StateTodayNext change
Delaware$15.00None scheduled
New Jersey$15.92$16.48 on January 1, 2027
Maryland$15.00None scheduled
Pennsylvania$7.25None scheduled

Questions employers ask

What is the minimum wage in Delaware in 2026?

Delaware’s minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2025, according to the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Delaware?

Employers may pay tipped employees $2.23 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $15.00.

When does the Delaware minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled under current Delaware law. Any change would need new legislation or a ballot measure.

Do cities in Delaware have a higher minimum wage?

We found no city or county in Delaware with a minimum wage above the state rate.

Does Delaware require overtime pay?

Follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. No separate state overtime rule.

Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Delaware must do

Sources

  1. Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs
  2. Delaware Code Title 19, Chapter 9 (section 902, minimum wage), Delaware General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees, historical table (July 1, 2024), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)