West Virginia Minimum Wage for 2023, 2024

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West Virginia's state minimum wage rate is $8.75 per hour. This is greater than the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25. You are entitled to be paid the higher state minimum wage. The minimum wage applies to most employees in West Virginia, with limited exceptions including tipped employees, some student workers, and other exempt occupations.^†

The West Virginia minimum wage was last changed in 2008, when it was raised $1.50 from $7.25 to $8.75.

The current minimum wage in West Virginia is $8.75 per hour. West Virginia raised their minimum wage above the $7.25 federal minimum wage for the first time on December 31, 2014. The state minimum wage was raised to $8.75 on December 31, 2015. West Virginia's minimum wage is applicable to all employers of 6 or more employees, unless they are specifically exempt.

In West Virginia, the following employees are exempt from minimum wage laws:

• Administrative Employees
• Agricultural Employees
• Executive Employees
• Drivers / DOT workers (any individual covered by federal DOT regulations)
• Federal Employees
• Fire Fighters employed by the state of WV or its agencies (does not include municipal or county firemen)
• Golf Caddies
• Handicapped individuals working in a nonprofit sheltered workshop
• Immediate Family (spouse, parent, child)
• Individuals 62 years of age or older receiving social security benefits
• Motorbus carrier employees
• News boys & shoe shine boys
• On-the-job trainees relating to vocational programs
• Outside / Traveling sales persons
• Part time students of any recognized school or college working 24 hours or less per week
• Per Diem employees working for the West Virginia State Senate, House of Delegates, or Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
• Professional Employees
• Pin boys and pin chasers in bowling lanes
• Summer camp workers (boys and girls camps)
• Theater ushers
• Volunteer Workers engaged in the activities of educational, charitable, religious, or fraternal activities where an employment relationship does not exist

West Virginia employers may not pay you under $8.75 per hour unless you or your occupation are specifically exempt from the minimum wage under state or federal law.

If you have questions about the West Virginia minimum wage, please ask us and someone will respond to you as soon as possible. Looking for a new job? Use the free West Virginia job search utility to find local job openings hiring now.

All West Virginia employers must display an approved West Virginia minimum wage poster in a prominent place to inform employees about the minimum wage and their worker's rights under West Virginia labor law.

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West Virginia Minimum Wage & Labor Law Posters

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and West Virginia labor law requires all employers in West Virginia to visibly display an approved West Virginia minimum wage poster, and other West Virginia and federal labor law posters, to ensure that all employees are aware of federal and West Virginia labor law and overtime regulations. Failure to display a West Virginia labor law poster in the workplace can result in severe fines.

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The West Virginia minimum wage poster, and additional required West Virginia labor law posters, are also available on the West Virginia labor law posters download page.

West Virginia Overtime Minimum Wage

All workers who put in over 40 weekly hours are entitled to a minimum wage of at least 1.5 times the regular applicable minimum wage (learn more about West Virginia overtime pay). Some states require workers who work over a certain number of daily hours to be eligible for this overtime rate as well (West Virginia law does not specify a daily overtime limit).

The FLSA guarantees all WV employees adequate overtime compensation for all qualifying overtime hours worked. If your employer does not pay adequate overtime wages, you can file an unpaid overtime claim with the West Virginia Department of Labor.

West Virginia Minimum Wage Exemptions

In addition to any West Virginia-specific minimum wage exemptions described above, the Federal Fair Labor Standards act defines special minimum wage rates applicable to certain types of workers. You may be paid under the West Virginia minimum wage if you fit into one of the following categories:

• West Virginia Under 20 Minimum Wage - $4.25 - Federal law allows any employer in West Virginia to pay a new employee who is under 20 years of age a training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment.
• West Virginia Student Minimum Wage - $7.44 - Full-time high school or college students who work part-time may be paid 85% of the West Virginia minimum wage (as little as $7.44 per hour) for up to 20 hours of work per week at certain employers (such as work-study programs at universities).
• West Virginia Tipped Minimum Wage - See Here - Employees who earn a certain amount of tips every month may be paid a lower cash minimum wage, but must earn at least $8.75 including tips every hour. For more details, read about the West Virginia tipped minimum wage.

Frequently Asked Questions - West Virginia Minimum Wage & Labor Law

What is the West Virginia minimum wage?

The current West Virginia minimum wage of $8.75 per hour is the lowest amount a non-exempt employee in West Virginia can legally be paid for hourly work. Special minimum wage rates, such as the "West Virginia waitress minimum wage" for tipped employees, may apply to certain workers.^[1]

How much will I earn working a minimum wage jobin West Virginia?

A full time minimum wage worker in West Virginia working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, will earn $70.00 per day, $350.00 per week, and $18,200.00 per year¹. The national poverty line for a family unit consisting of two people is $16,020.00 per year.

What is the West Virginia under 18 minimum wage?

West Virginia employers may pay 18 year olds and minors the youth minimum wage of $4.25 for the first 90 days of employment. Other labor law exemptions for minors in West Virginia may exist.

I still can't find the answer to my question about the West Virginia minimum wage!

If you have read the FAQ and still cannot find the information you need, please contact us with your question.

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¹ These earnings estimates do not account for the West Virginia income tax , federal income tax, or local/municipal income taxes.
² Poverty line for a family of two in the lower 48 published 2016 by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

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Labor Law Footnotes, Sources & Citations:

1. The weekly earnings estimate of $350.00 is based on a standard 40-hour workweek
2. The yearly earnings estimate of $18,200.00 is based on 52 standard 40-hour work weeks. Since most hourly employees don't work full time and/or take time off, actual yearly earnings will likely be lower.

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