What is the lowest wage you can be paid on a job?
Michael Gray
Updated on March 27, 2026
$7.25 per hour
The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour. Many states also have minimum wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.
Do employers have to give minimum wage?
Most employers must pay their workers at least the federal minimum wage. Federal law requires employers to pay all employees a minimum hourly wage, currently $7.25 a year later. Each state is also free to impose its own minimum wage (and most do).
What to do if you are not getting paid minimum wage?
Take the following steps:
- Step 1: call the Acas helpline. If you haven’t already, call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100.
- Step 2: raise a grievance.
- Step 3: early conciliation.
- Step 4: take your employer to a tribunal.
- Step 5: take your employer to court.
- Report your employer to HM Revenue and Customs.
What is minimum wage for federal workers?
$10.95 per hour
Currently, the minimum wage for workers on federal contracts is $10.95 per hour and the tipped minimum wage is $7.65 per hour.
Is 17 hr a good salary?
$17 per hour is actually a good salary in most of the USA. There are larger cities where this would not be the case such as NYC, LA or Seattle, among others. This is more than double the minimum wage in most places in the US.
Is it illegal for employers to pay less than minimum wage?
Once that period is over, they must pay the minimum wage. It is illegal to fire an under 20-year-old worker to avoid paying the minimum wage. Otherwise, they would hire and fire young employees to get away with low pay. An employer can pay less than the minimum wage if a large part of their compensation is from tips.
Is there a minimum wage for a commissioned employee?
With that being said, most employers who hire commissioned employees generally provide a minimum wage rate, and all commissions earned by employees is additional income earned. With regard to overtime pay for commissioned employees, the same law holds true.
Are there federal minimum wage requirements for exempt employees?
Exempt Employees: Minimum Salary Requirements for 2021 The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay most employees at least the federal minimum wage for each hour worked as well as overtime pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek.
How much does an employer have to pay an employee?
Effective January 1, 2020, employers must pay employees a salary of at least $684 per week. The FLSA’s minimum salary requirement is set to remain the same in 2021. Salary-basis test. With very limited exceptions, the employer must pay employees their full salary in any week they perform work, regardless of the quality or quantity of the work.