Does Rhode Island require premium pay for Sunday work?

Yes. Under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.3, retail employers must pay time-and-a-half for Sunday and legal holiday work. The work must be strictly voluntary — the employee cannot be required to work Sundays — and the employer must guarantee at least 4 hours of work for any such shift. Sunday/holiday hours are excluded from the weekly overtime calculation under the same section.

How does Rhode Island's minimum wage compare to neighboring Massachusetts?

Rhode Island's $16.00/hr minimum wage in 2026 is $1.00/hr above neighboring Massachusetts's $15.00/hr rate, which has been static since January 1, 2023 with no CPI-indexing. Rhode Island's scheduled $17.00/hr in 2027 would extend that gap to $2.00/hr, assuming Massachusetts does not enact an increase in the interim.

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Rhode Island's minimum wage is $16.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12.— Source: Rhode Island DLT

Rhode Island wage law

Rhode Island Minimum Wage 2026

Rhode Island's minimum wage is $16.00/hr in 2026 — one of the highest non-indexed rates in New England — scheduled to rise to $17.00 on January 1, 2027. Rhode Island is also the only state with a statutory Sunday/holiday retail premium: time-and-a-half for strictly voluntary Sunday shifts, guaranteed at least 4 hours, with those hours excluded from the weekly overtime count.

Estimate your weekly gross minimum pay

Rhode Island minimum wage — RI Gen. Laws § 28-12

Rhode Island's minimum wage is codified at RI Gen. Laws § 28-12-3 and enforced by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT). The current rate of $16.00/hr applies to all covered non-tipped employees effective January 1, 2026. A scheduled increase to $17.00/hr takes effect January 1, 2027 under the same statute.

Scheduled increases

$17.00/hr effective January 1, 2027 — Source

Basic calculation

weekly gross (40 hours or fewer) = hours × $16.00 weekly gross (over 40 hours) = (40 × $16.00) + ((hours − 40) × $24.00) Example: 45 hours = $640.00 + $120.00 = $760.00

Tipped workers in Rhode Island

Rhode Island allows a $3.89 tip credit, resulting in a tipped direct cash wage of $12.11/hr for 2026 (= $16.00 − $3.89). If tips in any workweek do not bring the total hourly rate up to $16.00, the employer must make up the difference. The tipped direct wage updates each time the standard minimum wage changes.

The Sunday and legal holiday retail premium — § 28-12-4.3

Rhode Island's most distinctive wage rule is the mandatory retail Sunday/holiday premium under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.3. Retail employers must pay time-and-a-half (1.5×) for work performed on Sundays and legal holidays, subject to two conditions:

Strictly voluntary: the employee cannot be required to work on Sundays or holidays. The shift must be offered and accepted voluntarily.
Minimum 4 hours: the employer must guarantee the employee at least 4 hours of work for any such shift.

Critically, Sunday/holiday hours under § 28-12-4.3 are excluded from the regular overtime calculation for that week. An employee who works 35 regular hours plus 8 Sunday hours is owed the Sunday premium on those 8 hours but is not owed FLSA overtime (the regular hours do not exceed 40). No other state currently has a comparable statutory Sunday retail premium in force.

Sunday premium example

Regular week: 35 hours × $16.00 = $560.00 Sunday shift (voluntary, retail): 8 hours × $24.00 (1.5×) = $192.00 Total: $752.00 Note: No overtime owed — regular hours (35) did not exceed 40.

Rhode Island compared to neighboring Massachusetts

Neighboring Massachusetts has a minimum wage of $15.00/hr effective January 1, 2023 (MGL c.151), with no CPI-indexing and no scheduled increase as of 2026. Rhode Island's $16.00/hr rate is $1.00/hr higher, and the scheduled $17.00/hr in 2027 would widen the gap to $2.00/hr — both states without CPI indexing, but Rhode Island's legislative schedule has run further. Massachusetts also eliminated its Sunday/holiday retail premium effective January 1, 2023; Rhode Island still maintains it under § 28-12-4.3.

What this page does not determine

Whether a specific employer is "retail" for purposes of the § 28-12-4.3 Sunday premium.
Whether a specific Sunday shift was truly voluntary under the statute.
The sick leave accrual rules — covered on the Rhode Island Sick Leave page.
Final paycheck rules — covered on the Rhode Island Final Paycheck page.
Overtime for workers with both regular and Sunday/holiday hours in the same week.
Whether a worker or employer is covered by RI minimum wage law at all.

Sources and verification

The $16.00/hr rate (effective January 1, 2026) and the $17.00 scheduled increase (January 1, 2027) are verified from the Rhode Island DLT Minimum Wage page. The tipped direct wage calculation ($3.89 tip credit) and the Sunday/holiday retail premium rule are from RI Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.3 at rilegislature.gov. Verification date: August 2026. See the site's methodology for source standards.

Common questions

What is Rhode Island's minimum wage in 2026?

Rhode Island's minimum wage is $16.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12, confirmed from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. A scheduled increase to $17.00/hr takes effect January 1, 2027.

What is Rhode Island's tipped minimum wage?

Rhode Island's tipped direct cash wage is $12.11/hr in 2026 — the $16.00 minimum minus a $3.89 tip credit under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12. Tips must bring total hourly compensation to at least $16.00; if they don't, the employer makes up the difference for that workweek.

Does Rhode Island require Sunday premium pay?

Yes, for retail employers. Under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.3, retail workers who voluntarily work Sundays or legal holidays must be paid at least 1.5× the regular rate, with a 4-hour work guarantee. Sunday hours are excluded from the weekly overtime count. No other state has an equivalent provision currently in force.

When does Rhode Island's minimum wage increase to $17.00?

Rhode Island's minimum wage rises to $17.00 per hour on January 1, 2027, under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12, as confirmed from the Rhode Island DLT. This was already on the legislative schedule as of the August 2026 verification date; no CPI adjustment is needed for this step increase.

Is there a youth or training minimum wage in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island does not maintain a separately verified youth or training minimum wage in the current registry. The full $16.00/hr standard rate and $12.11/hr tipped rate are the figures confirmed from primary sources. Contact the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (dlt.ri.gov) for any sub-minimum certificate programs for specific categories.