Minimum wage in Connecticut

Connecticut's basic minimum wage is $16.94 an hour. That is $9.69 above the federal minimum wage of $7.25. For tipped employees DOL's table reads: $16.94. Against Connecticut's $16.94 floor for FLSA-covered employers, among its 3 neighbors New York ($17.00) is higher and Rhode Island ($16.00) and Massachusetts ($15.00) are lower.

Verified against the U.S. Department of Labor on (DOL's state table updated ). Source: State Minimum Wage Laws, Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees.

At a glance

Key minimum wage facts for Connecticut
ItemValue
State minimum wage$16.94
Against the federal $7.25$9.69 above federal
Floor for FLSA-covered employers$16.94 (the higher of the state and federal rates)
Scheduled changeNone listed by DOL
Overtime threshold in state lawWeekly - 40
Tipped cash wageHotel, restaurant: $6.38; Bartenders who customarily receive tips: $8.23
Maximum tip creditHotel, restaurant: $10.56; Bartenders who customarily receive tips: $8.71

Rates as DOL lists them

Basic minimum rates in Connecticut with their conditions
Rate per hourApplies to
$16.94No condition stated by DOL

Premium pay after designated hours: Weekly - 40. DOL footnote 1: The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.

Scheduled increases

DOL lists no scheduled increase and no indexing formula for Connecticut. A change would require new legislation or a ballot measure.

Tipped employees

Connecticut requires a cash wage above the federal tipped minimum of $2.13; the employer may count tips toward the rest, up to the tip credit shown.

Tipped employee minimum wage in Connecticut
RowCombined cash and tip minimumMaximum tip creditMinimum cash wageTipped employee defined by monthly tips of
Connecticut$16.94———
Hotel, restaurant—$10.56$6.38Not specified
Bartenders who customarily receive tips—$8.71$8.23—
  • DOL footnote 2: Connecticut. The Connecticut minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula.

A dash means DOL left the cell blank. DOL's general footnote 1: Other additional deductions are permitted, for example for meals and lodging.

What DOL also notes

  • In restaurants and hotel restaurants, for the 7th consecutive day of work, premium pay is required at time and one half the minimum rate.

Neighbors and the federal floor

Minimum wage in the states bordering Connecticut
StateState rateFloor for FLSA-covered employers
Connecticut$16.94$16.94
New York$17.00$17.00
Rhode Island$16.00$16.00
Massachusetts$15.00$15.00
Federal (FLSA)$7.25$7.25

More than one law can apply

DOL states that where federal, state and local minimum wage laws all cover an employer, the employer must pay the highest applicable rate. Whether a particular job is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, by Connecticut's law, or by a city or county ordinance depends on facts this site does not assess. City and county rates are not in DOL's table and are not shown here. This page describes published rates and is not legal advice; for how to raise an underpayment, see FastGuide.

Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Connecticut

FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Connecticut. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.

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