Minimum wage in West Virginia in 2026
$8.75 per hour1
per hourGeneral rate since January 1, 2016
Year 2026
Rates in force during 2026
| Applies to | Rate | Effective | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
6+ employeesSourceAs of January 1, 2016, the state minimum wage is $8.75 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $8.75January 1, 2016 – current | January 1, 2016 | current |
3 rates in force
Rates by worker type, industry and employer size
The highest rate that fits the job applies.
| Applies to | Rate | Cash wage | Max tip credit | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
6+ employeesSourceAs of January 1, 2016, the state minimum wage is $8.75 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $8.75January 1, 2016 | — | — | January 1, 2016 |
Tipped employees · 6+ employees · customarily receives tipsSource: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-4; W. Va. C.S.R. § 42-8-12.1As of January 1, 2016, the maximum allowable credit that an employer may take against the minimum wage requirement for tipped employees is $6.13, which leaves a minimum cash wage requirement of $2.62 per hour. §21-5C-4 If during any given workweek of seven consecutive t wenty-four hour periods, a tipped employee should not receive an hourly rate, plus ti ps, to equal the current minimum wage of $8.75 per hour
Verified September 26, 2026 | $8.75January 1, 2016 | $2.62 | $6.13 | January 1, 2016 |
Training / new hires · 6+ employees · under age 20, first 90 days of employmentSource: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-2Provided, That an employer may pay an employee first hired after December 31, 2014, a subminimum training wage not less than $6.40 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $6.40January 1, 2015 | — | — | January 1, 2015 |
2008 to 2026
History
Each step is a rate row with its own quoted source.
Show the history as a table
| Applies to | Rate | Effective | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
6+ employeesSource: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-2(4) After December 31, 2014, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees wages at a rate not less than $8.00 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $8.00January 1, 2015 – January 1, 2016 | January 1, 2015 | January 1, 2016 |
6+ employeesSource: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-2(3) After June 30, 2008, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees wages at a rate not less than $7.25 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $7.25July 1, 2008 – January 1, 2015 | July 1, 2008 | January 1, 2015 |
Earlier rules by employer size, worker type and condition (2)
| Applies to | Rate | Effective | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
6+ employeesSource: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-2(4) After December 31, 2014, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees wages at a rate not less than $8.00 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $8.00January 1, 2015 – January 1, 2016 | January 1, 2015 | January 1, 2016 |
6+ employeesSource: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-2(3) After June 30, 2008, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees wages at a rate not less than $7.25 per hour.
Verified September 26, 2026 | $7.25July 1, 2008 – January 1, 2015 | July 1, 2008 | January 1, 2015 |
BLS · May 2025
How the minimum compares with typical pay in West Virginia
40%of the median hourly wage
The median hourly wage across all occupations in West Virginia is $21.78 and the mean is $27.15 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates). The minimum wage of $8.75 is 40% of the median; the 10th-percentile wage is $12.53, so roughly the lowest-paid tenth of workers earn within $3.78 of the minimum. BLS
| Applies to | Rate |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $8.75 |
| 10th percentile | $12.53 |
| 25th percentile | $15.16 |
| Median | $21.78 |
| Mean | $27.15 |
8 rules · September 27, 2026
Labor law basics in West Virginia
What the law adds on top of the hourly rate. Follow the citation for exceptions.
Pay frequency
Employers must pay employees at least twice a month, with no more than 19 days between paydays, unless a special agreement provides otherwise. (all employers except railroads)
Source: W. Va. Code § 21-5-3
(a) Every person, firm, or corporation doing business in this state, except railroad companies as provided in §21-5-1 et seq. of this code, shall settle with its employees at least twice every month in a manner of the person, firm, or corporation’s choosing, as set forth in subsection (b) of this section, and with no more than 19 days between settlements, unless otherwise provided by special agreement, and pay them the wages due, less authorized deductions and authorized wage assignments, for their work or services.
- Source
- statute
- snapshot
- September 27, 2026
Verified September 27, 2026
Final paycheck
Employees who are fired, quit or resign must be paid their final wages on or before the next regular payday.
Source: W. Va. Code § 21-5-4
(b) Whenever a person, firm, or corporation discharges an employee, or whenever an employee quits or resigns from employment, the person, firm or corporation shall pay the employee’s wages due for work that the employee performed prior to the separation of employment on or before the next regular payday on which the wages would otherwise be due and payable
- Source
- statute
- snapshot
- September 27, 2026
- Notes
- An employer that misses the deadline owes the unpaid amount plus two times that amount as liquidated damages (§ 21-5-4(e)).
Verified September 27, 2026
Meal breaks
Employees who work six or more hours in a workday must be given at least 20 minutes for a meal break, unless they already get breaks or may eat while working.
Source: W. Va. Code § 21-3-10a
During the course of a workday of six or more hours, all employers shall make available for each of their employees, at least twenty minutes for meal breaks, at times reasonably designated by the employer. This provision shall be required in all situations where employees are not afforded necessary breaks and/or permitted to eat lunch while working
- Source
- statute
- snapshot
- September 27, 2026
Verified September 27, 2026
Overtime
Employers must pay employees at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Source: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-3
(a) On and after July 1, 1980, no employer shall employ any of his employees for a workweek longer than forty hours, unless such employee receives compensation for his employment in excess of the hours above specified at a rate of not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at which he is employed.
- Source
- statute
- snapshot
- September 27, 2026
- Notes
- The state wage and hour law applies to employers with six or more employees at one location; FLSA-covered employers follow federal overtime.
Verified September 27, 2026
Young workers' hours
Children under 16 may not work during school hours, before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day), more than 3 hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week, more than 8 hours on a non-school day or 40 hours in a non-school week, or more than 5 hours without a 30-minute lunch break.
Source: W. Va. Code § 21-6-7
(a) No child under the age of sixteen who is employed or permitted to work in accordance with the provisions of this article shall work: (1) During school hours, except as provided in work experience and career exploration programs approved by the United States Secretary of Labor; (2) Before seven o'clock antemeridian or after seven o'clock postmeridian: Provided, That a child under the age of sixteen may work until nine o'clock postmeridian from June 1 through Labor Day; (3) More than three hours per day, on days in which public schools are in session; (4) More than eighteen hours per week, in weeks in which public schools are in session; (5) More than eight hours, on days in which public schools are not in session; (6) More than forty hours per week, in weeks in which public schools are not in session; or (7) More than five hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty minutes for a lunch period.
- Source
- statute
- snapshot
- September 27, 2026
Verified September 27, 2026
Tips
Employers may take a tip credit of up to 70 percent of the hourly minimum wage for employees who customarily receive gratuities. (employers covered by the West Virginia minimum wage)
Source: W. Va. Code § 21-5C-4
Provided, That after December 31, 2014, in determining whether an employer is paying an employee wages and overtime compensation as provided in sections two and three of this article, there shall be provided in accordance with the legislative rules proposed for promulgation by the commissioner a credit to the employer of seventy percent of the hourly rate of the amount paid an employee customarily receiving gratuities
- Source
- statute
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
- Notes
- At the $8.75 state rate this is a $2.62 cash wage (WV Division of Labor fact sheet 3).
Verified September 27, 2026
Required poster
The WV Division of Labor lists its Minimum Wage Requirements poster and its Wage Payment & Collection Act poster as required for all employers.
Source
Minimum Wage Requirements Poster (Applies To All Employers) Nurses Overtime & Patient Safety Act Poster (Only applies To Hospitals) Wage Payment & Collection Act Poster (Applies To All Employers)
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 27, 2026
Verified September 27, 2026
Overtime-exempt salary threshold
Executive, administrative and professional employees are exempt from minimum wage and overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid a salary of at least $684 per week ($35,568 a year). (executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees)
Source: 29 C.F.R. Part 541
To qualify for exemption, employees generally must meet certain tests regarding their job duties and be paid on a salary basis at not less than $684 per week.
- Source
- agency page
- snapshot
- September 26, 2026
- Notes
- The 2024 rule raising the level to $844/$1,128 was vacated in November 2024; DOL enforces the 2019 level of $684.
Verified September 26, 2026
$8.75 / hour
Calculators
Estimates before tax at this rate. Nothing you type leaves this page.
What this wage pays
| Weekly | $350.00 |
|---|---|
| Monthly52 weeks ÷ 12 | $1,516.67 |
| Annual52 weeks | $18,200.00 |
| Overtime rate1.5× where overtime applies | $13.13 |
5 questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in West Virginia in 2026?
$8.75 per hour since January 1, 2016. For a 40-hour week that is about $350.00 a week or $18,200.00 a year before tax.
Is the minimum wage in West Virginia increasing?
No increase is scheduled on record as of October 1, 2026. Inflation-indexed jurisdictions announce the next figure a few months before it takes effect.
What is the tipped minimum wage in West Virginia?
Employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.62 per hour as long as tips bring them to $8.75 (a maximum tip credit of $6.13).
What is the minimum wage for young or new workers in West Virginia?
Training / new hires (under age 20, first 90 days of employment): $6.40 per hour.
How does West Virginia compare with other states?
West Virginia's $8.75 ranks 31 of 51 state general rates, against a federal floor of $7.25.
2 levels of law
How this rate is resolved
The highest minimum that covers the work location applies.
Employers must pay the highest minimum that covers the work location. WageTable checks each level in turn:
- United States
- West Virginia
West Virginia sets 3 rules of its own.
Notes on this jurisdiction's rules and sources
The state minimum wage applies only where six or more non-exempt employees work at one separate, distinct and permanent work location (W. Va. Code § 21-5C-1(e)); the count is per work location, not employer-wide. Below that threshold the federal minimum wage may apply. The state training wage is deferred to the federal youth wage while the federal rate is equal or higher (Division of Labor FAQ).
West Virginia
Enforcement
Enforced by West Virginia Division of Labor, Wage and Hour Section. Employers must display the official minimum wage poster.
Underpaid?File a wage claim