Rhode Island minimum wage: $16.00 an hour, rising to $17.00 on January 1, 2027
Checked November 8, 2026Source: Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
Short answer
Rhode Island’s minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
Employers may pay tipped employees $3.89 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $16.00.
It rises to $17.00 on January 1, 2027, with a tipped cash wage of $3.89.
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- Minimum wage today
- $16.00
- Tipped employees, cash wage
- $3.89
- From January 1, 2027
- $17.00
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $33,280
We found no city or county in Rhode Island with its own higher minimum wage.
What the January 1, 2027 raise costs you
The raise is $1.00 an hour for anyone paid less than the new rate on January 1, 2027.
- Added wages a year
- $1,560
- Employer Social Security and Medicare (FICA), 7.65%
- $119
- Total added cost a year
- $1,679
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.
Rhode Island minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Tipped cash wage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027Upcoming | $17.00 | $3.89 | Last scheduled step; no indexing after 2027. Tipped cash wage stays $3.89.source |
| January 1, 2026Current | $16.00 | $3.89 | Set by P.L. 2025, ch. 222 and 223.source |
| January 1, 2025 | $15.00 | $3.89 | Tipped cash wage fixed at $3.89 by R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-5.source |
Other Rhode Island rates
Minors 14 and 15
Minors aged 14 and 15 must be paid at least 75% of the minimum wage. A minor who works more than 24 hours in a week gets the full rate for all hours that week (R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3.1).
Today: $12.00
Before January 1, 2027
- Update every hourly rate below $17.00 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 Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
Other Rhode Island pay rules
- Paydays
- Weekly, on a payday no more than 9 days after the pay period ends. Employees on a fixed salary are exempt from the weekly rule. Paying hourly staff less often needs written approval from the Department of Labor and Training, and even then payday comes at least twice a month.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Many employers also owe time and a half for work on Sundays and state holidays; there are many exceptions, and retail has its own rules.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: By the next regular payday. If the business is closing, merging, being sold or leaving the state, within 24 hours. Quit: By the next regular payday.
From the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Rhode Island employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to Rhode Island
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
| State | Today | Next change |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $16.00 | $17.00 on January 1, 2027 |
| Connecticut | $16.94 | $17.48 on January 1, 2027 |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 | None scheduled |
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in Rhode Island in 2026?
Rhode Island’s minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Rhode Island?
Employers may pay tipped employees $3.89 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $16.00.
When does the Rhode Island minimum wage go up next?
On January 1, 2027, to $17.00 an hour.
Do cities in Rhode Island have a higher minimum wage?
We found no city or county in Rhode Island with a minimum wage above the state rate.
Does Rhode Island require overtime pay?
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Many employers also owe time and a half for work on Sundays and state holidays; there are many exceptions, and retail has its own rules.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Rhode Island must do
Sources
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
- R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3.1, Wages for minors, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 9, 2026)
- R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3, Minimum wages, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
- R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-5, Gratuities (tipped cash wage), State of Rhode Island General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (revised November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 8, 2026)