West Virginia minimum wage: $8.75 an hour
Checked November 8, 2026Source: West Virginia Division of Labor, Wage and Hour Section
Short answer
West Virginia’s minimum wage is $8.75 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2016, according to the West Virginia Division of Labor, Wage and Hour Section.
Employers may pay tipped employees $2.62 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $8.75.
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- Minimum wage today
- $8.75
- Tipped employees, cash wage
- $2.62
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $18,200
We found no city or county in West Virginia with its own higher minimum wage.
West Virginia minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Tipped cash wage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2016Current | $8.75 | $2.62 | Applies to employers with 6 or more non-exempt employees at one location; smaller employers follow federal law where it applies. No scheduled increases.source |
| January 1, 2015 | $8.00 | $2.40 | Tipped cash wage is 30% of the minimum (70% tip credit, W. Va. Code 21-5C-4).source |
Other West Virginia rates
Training wage for workers under 20
Employers may pay an employee first hired after December 31, 2014 this subminimum training wage until the employee turns 20, for up to 90 days in total, plus up to 90 more if the business had been open 90 days or less at hire (W. Va. Code 21-5C-2(b)).
Today: $6.40
Other West Virginia pay rules
- Paydays
- At least twice a month, with no more than 19 days between paydays, unless a special agreement says otherwise.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. State overtime applies only when the company has 6 or more non-exempt employees at one location, isn’t covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as an enterprise, and fewer than 80% of its employees are individually covered by it. Other employers follow the federal rule where the FLSA covers the business or the employee.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: By the next regular payday. Quit: By the next regular payday.
From the West Virginia Division of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All West Virginia employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to West Virginia
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
| State | Today | Next change |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $8.75 | None scheduled |
| Maryland | $15.00 | None scheduled |
| Virginia | $12.77 | $13.75 on January 1, 2027 |
| Ohio | $11.00 | $11.40 on January 1, 2027 |
| Kentucky | $7.25 | None scheduled |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | None scheduled |
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in West Virginia in 2026?
West Virginia’s minimum wage is $8.75 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2016, according to the West Virginia Division of Labor, Wage and Hour Section.
What is the tipped minimum wage in West Virginia?
Employers may pay tipped employees $2.62 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $8.75.
When does the West Virginia minimum wage go up next?
No increase is scheduled under current West Virginia law. Any change would need new legislation or a ballot measure.
Do cities in West Virginia have a higher minimum wage?
We found no city or county in West Virginia with a minimum wage above the state rate.
Does West Virginia require overtime pay?
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. State overtime applies only when the company has 6 or more non-exempt employees at one location, isn’t covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as an enterprise, and fewer than 80% of its employees are individually covered by it. Other employers follow the federal rule where the FLSA covers the business or the employee.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in West Virginia must do
Sources
- West Virginia Division of Labor, Wage and Hour Section
- W. Va. Code 21-5C-2, Minimum wages, West Virginia Legislature (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum Wage Fact Sheet 3: Minimum Wage Requirements for Tipped Employees (July 2016), West Virginia Division of Labor (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)
- W. Va. Code 21-5C-4, Credits (70% tip credit), West Virginia Legislature (read Nov 8, 2026)