Skip to content
The Mandate Monitor

What employers in North Carolina must do

Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program

Short answer

Most employers in North Carolina must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour; North Carolina doesn’t set a higher one.

North Carolina has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Running payroll in North Carolina? See the do-it-yourself route and list prices for the 8 payroll systems that say they file payroll taxes.

North Carolina requirements at a glance

RequirementStatusWhat it means for you
Minimum wageIn effect$7.25 an hour

Pay rules North Carolina employers must follow

Paydays
Any regular schedule: daily, weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly. Bonuses and commissions can be paid as rarely as yearly if set in advance.
Final paycheck, fired
By the next regular payday (by trackable mail if the employee asks in writing).
Final paycheck, quit
By the next regular payday (by trackable mail if the employee asks in writing).
Meal breaks
No state requirement for adults.
Rest breaks
No state requirement for adults.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. North Carolina’s overtime law generally doesn’t apply to businesses covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which follow the federal rule, or to employees of seasonal amusement or recreational establishments.
New hire reporting
Within 20 days of hire or rehire, to the North Carolina New Hire Directory

From the North Carolina Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.

Upcoming North Carolina deadlines

No dated North Carolina deadlines on file right now. Federal year-end filings still apply.

Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states

Sources

  1. North Carolina Department of Labor
  2. State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  4. Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  5. State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  6. Payment of Final Wages, N.C. Department of Labor (read Nov 7, 2026)
  7. G.S. 95-25.6, Wage payment, North Carolina General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
  8. G.S. 95-25.7, Payment to separated employees, North Carolina General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
  9. G.S. 95-25.4, Overtime, North Carolina General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)
  10. G.S. 95-25.14, Exemptions, North Carolina General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)
  11. Reporting Fundamentals, North Carolina New Hire Directory (N.C. Department of Health and Human Services) (read Nov 7, 2026)
  12. What to Know About Breaks, North Carolina Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)