What is Wisconsin's tipped minimum wage?

Wisconsin's direct cash wage for tipped workers is $2.33 per hour under Wis. Stat. § 104.035, confirmed from dwd.wisconsin.gov. If tips do not bring total hourly compensation to at least $7.25/hr in a given workweek, the employer must pay the difference for that week.

Can Wisconsin cities set a higher local minimum wage?

No. Wis. Stat. § 104.001 expressly preempts all Wisconsin cities, counties, and local governments from enacting a minimum wage ordinance above the state rate. Previous Milwaukee efforts to enact a local minimum wage were blocked by this preemption. The $7.25/hr rate is the uniform floor across all Wisconsin jurisdictions.

How does Wisconsin's minimum wage compare to neighboring Minnesota?

Minnesota's minimum wage is $11.41/hr, CPI-indexed as of January 1, 2026 (confirmed from dli.mn.gov) — $4.16/hr above Wisconsin's $7.25 floor. Minnesota also has a 48-hour state overtime threshold under Minn. Stat. § 177.25 for non-FLSA employers; Wisconsin has no equivalent. A Wisconsin worker at the minimum wage earns significantly less than a Minnesota counterpart at the state's own floor, and has no additional state overtime protection.

State

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Wisconsin's minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009, under Wis. Stat. § 104.035. An opportunity wage of $5.90/hr applies to workers under 20 during their first 90 consecutive days. Tipped direct wage: $2.33/hr. Local preemption under § 104.001.— Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Wisconsin wage law

Wisconsin Minimum Wage

Wisconsin's minimum wage is the federal floor of $7.25/hr, unchanged since 2009, with three categories: the standard $7.25 rate, a $5.90/hr opportunity wage for workers under 20 in their first 90 days, and a $2.33/hr tipped direct wage. Wis. Stat. § 104.001 bars all Wisconsin cities from enacting a higher local rate. Wisconsin also has a distinctive One Day of Rest law (§ 103.85) requiring weekly time off for factory and retail workers.

Estimate your weekly gross minimum pay

Wisconsin Minimum Wage — Wis. Stat. § 104.035

Wisconsin's minimum wage is codified at Wis. Stat. § 104.035 and enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Equal Rights Division, at dwd.wisconsin.gov. The standard rate of $7.25/hr has been unchanged since July 24, 2009. Wisconsin has no CPI-indexing and no scheduled future increase in current statute.

Rate summary — 2026

Standard minimum wage: $7.25/hr (Wis. Stat. § 104.035) Opportunity wage (under-20, first 90 days): $5.90/hr Tipped direct wage: $2.33/hr (tips must bring total to $7.25) Local minimum wage: Preempted — none above $7.25 (§ 104.001)

The opportunity wage — $5.90/hr

Wisconsin permits an opportunity wage of $5.90/hr for employees under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive days of employment with any employer. After 90 calendar days have elapsed, the employer must pay at least the full $7.25/hr standard rate. The 90-day period restarts only with a new employer — it is not renewed when an existing employee's circumstances change. This is a training-period exception, not a permanent youth rate.

Tipped workers — $2.33/hr direct wage

Wisconsin's tipped direct cash wage is $2.33/hr under Wis. Stat. § 104.035, confirmed from dwd.wisconsin.gov. If tips received in any workweek do not bring the total hourly rate to $7.25, the employer must pay the difference for that week. Wisconsin's tipped rate is the same as the federal FLSA tipped credit amount, which is a distinct figure from the state standard rate.

Local preemption — Wis. Stat. § 104.001

Wis. Stat. § 104.001 expressly preempts Wisconsin municipalities from enacting minimum wage ordinances above the state rate. Milwaukee, the state's largest city, has attempted local wage legislation; § 104.001 is the statute that blocks it. The result is a uniform $7.25/hr floor across all Wisconsin jurisdictions with no local variation permitted.

One Day of Rest — Wis. Stat. § 103.85

Wisconsin's One Day of Rest law at Wis. Stat. § 103.85 requires that factory and retail establishment employees receive at least 24 consecutive hours off in each 7-day period (Sunday through Saturday). This is a scheduling requirement, not a wage rate, but it distinguishes Wisconsin from neighboring states that have no equivalent rule. The repeal of Wisconsin's prevailing wage laws (effective for projects beginning after January 1, 2017) is a separate change that removed another distinctive state labor standard.

Wisconsin compared to neighboring Minnesota

Minnesota's minimum wage is $11.41/hr effective January 1, 2026 — CPI-indexed annually from dli.mn.gov — $4.16/hr above Wisconsin's $7.25. Minnesota also has Minn. Stat. § 177.25, a 48-hour state overtime threshold for non-FLSA employers that creates state-law overtime rights where Wisconsin's workers have only federal FLSA protection. Wisconsin's § 104.001 preemption also means no Wisconsin city can try to narrow that gap locally. On the minimum wage measure, Wisconsin is significantly below its direct northern neighbor as of 2026.

What this page does not determine

Whether a specific worker qualifies for the opportunity wage (must be under 20 and in the first 90 consecutive days).
Whether a specific worker is a tipped employee and whether tips actually cover the difference to $7.25.
Overtime calculations — Wisconsin follows FLSA (weekly-40 at 1.5×); the Wisconsin Overtime page has the full analysis.
One Day of Rest compliance — whether a specific employer is a "factory" or "retail establishment" for purposes of § 103.85.
Wisconsin wage claim filing procedures — contact the DWD Equal Rights Division at dwd.wisconsin.gov.

Sources and verification

The $7.25/hr rate, $5.90/hr opportunity wage, $2.33/hr tipped rate, and the July 24, 2009 effective date are confirmed from dwd.wisconsin.gov. The § 104.001 local preemption and § 103.85 One Day of Rest citations are from the Wisconsin Statutes. Verification date: August 2026. See the site's methodology for source standards.

Common questions

What is Wisconsin's minimum wage in 2026?

Wisconsin's standard minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009, under Wis. Stat. § 104.035, confirmed from dwd.wisconsin.gov. The rate is unchanged from the last federal increase and has no CPI-indexing or scheduled increase under current statute. An opportunity wage of $5.90/hr applies to workers under 20 in their first 90 consecutive days.

What is Wisconsin's opportunity wage?

Wisconsin's opportunity wage is $5.90/hr — available only for workers under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive days of employment with a given employer. After 90 days, the employer must pay at least the standard $7.25/hr. This is a training-period exception, not a permanent youth rate, confirmed from dwd.wisconsin.gov.

What is Wisconsin's tipped worker rate?

Wisconsin's tipped direct cash wage is $2.33/hr under Wis. Stat. § 104.035, confirmed from dwd.wisconsin.gov. If tips received in any workweek don't bring total hourly pay to at least $7.25, the employer makes up the difference for that week. Wisconsin's $2.33 tipped rate matches the federal FLSA tipped minimum — both are unchanged since 2009.

Can Milwaukee set a higher local minimum wage?

No. Wis. Stat. § 104.001 expressly preempts Wisconsin municipalities from enacting local minimum wage ordinances above the state rate. Milwaukee and other Wisconsin cities cannot set a local floor above $7.25/hr regardless of local political will. The preemption was enacted specifically to create a uniform statewide floor and has been tested against Milwaukee's attempts to legislate locally.

What is Wisconsin's One Day of Rest law?

Wis. Stat. § 103.85 requires that factory and retail establishment employees receive at least 24 consecutive hours off in each 7-day period (Sunday through Saturday). This is a scheduling rule, not a wage rate. Wisconsin's prevailing wage laws were repealed for projects beginning after January 1, 2017 — a separate change that removed Wisconsin from the prevailing-wage-law group of states.