Hawaii
Hawaii Minimum Wage (2027): $16.00 All Year, $18.00 in 2028
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited September 29, 2026). · Law checked current as of November 7, 2026. · 9 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Hawaii's minimum wage is $16.00 per hour, in effect since January 1, 2026 under Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) 387-2(a)(10). The next scheduled step is $18.00 per hour on January 1, 2028 (HRS 387-2(a)(11)). There is no increase on January 1, 2027: the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) lists $16.00 as running through December 31, 2027.
Information last verified on September 28, 2026, with the 2027 section checked on November 6, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Jurisdiction scope: This page covers the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law (HRS chapter 387) and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) minimum wage overlay. It does not cover overtime detail, other Hawaii wage laws or any other state.
Hawaii minimum wage in 2027: what changes January 1
Nothing changes on January 1, 2027: Hawaii's minimum wage stays $16.00 per hour for all of 2027. The next step, $18.00 per hour, is scheduled by statute for January 1, 2028 (HRS 387-2(a)(11)).
Status as of November 6, 2026: no change scheduled for 2027. HRS 387-2(a) lists "$16.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2026" and "$18.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2028," with no step in between, and the DLIR Wage Standards Division's minimum wage page lists the same two dates. DLIR's tip credit notice shows $16.00 running from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.
For tipped workers, the maximum tip credit stays $1.25 per hour through December 31, 2027, so the minimum cash wage for 2027 is $14.75. The credit is allowed only if wages plus tips reach at least $23.00 an hour, $7.00 above the minimum wage. On January 1, 2028 the credit becomes $1.50 and the cash wage $16.50. The $18.00 step is scheduled by statute, not announced by an agency, because Hawaii uses a fixed schedule with no inflation indexing; anything after 2028 would need a new act of the legislature.
What is the minimum wage in Hawaii in 2026?
The Hawaii minimum wage is $16.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. HRS 387-2(a)(10) reads "$16.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2026," and the DLIR Wage Standards Division lists the same figure with the next step of $18.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2028.
The current schedule comes from Act 114 of 2022. It steps the wage from $12.00 (October 1, 2022) to $14.00 (January 1, 2024), $16.00 (January 1, 2026) and $18.00 (January 1, 2028). The DLIR page lists the entire schedule, starting with $10.10 in 2018, so read the row for the date that applies to you rather than the first figure on that page.
Hawaii tip credit: what an employer must pay tipped workers
Hawaii allows a tip credit, but with a condition that many states do not have. A tipped employee is one who customarily and regularly receives more than $20 a month in tips (HRS 387-1).
The maximum credit is $1.25 per hour from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2027 and $1.50 per hour from January 1, 2028 (HRS 387-2(b)(5) and (6)). For 2026 and 2027, DLIR's tip credit notice shows a minimum cash wage of $14.75 per hour ($16.00 minus $1.25).
The employer may take the credit only if the combined amount the employee receives from the employer and in tips is at least $7.00 more than the applicable minimum wage. DLIR's table applies that condition as follows.
| Period | Minimum wage | Combined wage plus tips required | Maximum tip credit | Minimum cash wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 | $16.00 | $23.00 | $1.25 | $14.75 |
| From January 1, 2028 | $18.00 | $25.00 | $1.50 | $16.50 |
If tips fall short of the combined amount, DLIR's notice explains that the employer may take a smaller credit.
Who is not covered by the Hawaii minimum wage?
HRS 387-1 defines "employee" to exclude several groups. They include individuals employed at guaranteed compensation of $4,000 or more a month; agricultural workers in workweeks when the employer has fewer than 20 employees, and coffee harvesting; casual domestic service and companionship for the aged or infirm in the employer's home; an employer's family members; bona fide executive, administrative, supervisory and professional employees, outside salespersons and outside collectors; fishing and aquatic harvesting; ship crew who are merchant mariners; golf caddies; students at a nonprofit school employed by it; seasonal youth camp staff; and automobile salespersons at licensed dealers. This is a summary, not the full statutory text.
The definition of "employer" also excludes the State, its political subdivisions and the United States, so public employees are outside chapter 387.
Employees whose minimum wage and overtime are governed by the FLSA are excluded too, except that an FLSA-covered employee gets Hawaii's rate where it is higher. Hawaii's $16.00 is higher than the federal $7.25.
Youth and training wages
Hawaii's statute sets no separate youth or opportunity wage. HRS 387-9 lets the director set lower wages by rule, through special certificates, for learners, apprentices, part-time students in non-college schools and paroled wards of the youth correctional facility. This page did not review DLIR's current rules on those certificates.
Do Hawaii counties set their own minimum wage?
This page found no county minimum wage on the official Hawaii pages reviewed. It does not address whether state law would allow or block one, because that question was not resolved from a primary source. If you work for an employer in Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui or Kauai County, confirm with DLIR that no local rate applies.
How Hawaii and federal minimum wage law fit together
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)(C)). Under 29 U.S.C. 218(a), the FLSA does not excuse noncompliance with a state law setting a higher minimum wage, and DOL states that where both apply the employee is entitled to the higher rate. Hawaii's $16.00 is well above $7.25. For federal coverage, subminimum certificates and pending bills, see the federal minimum wage page.
How to recover unpaid minimum wages in Hawaii
The DLIR Wage Standards Division enforces chapter 387. Its notice states that the department may recover back wages, either administratively or through court action, for underpaid employees. The Oahu office is at 830 Punchbowl Street, Room 340, Honolulu, and the phone number is (808) 586-8777. The division's page is at labor.hawaii.gov/wsd.
HRS 387-12(a) makes an employer that fails to pay wages under chapter 387 without equitable justification, or otherwise violates the chapter, liable for the unpaid wages plus an equal amount, interest at 6 percent a year from the due date, and a penalty of not less than $500 or $100 per violation, whichever is greater, which is paid into the state labor law enforcement special fund rather than to the employee. Under HRS 387-12(c), employees can sue for themselves and similarly situated employees, and a prevailing plaintiff recovers reasonable attorney's fees and costs. A willful violation of chapter 387 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 to $5,000, up to one year in jail, or both (HRS 387-12(b)(2)). Separately, an employer or agent who pays or agrees to pay an employee less than the wage owed under chapter 387 commits a class C felony, with a fine of at least $500 per offense and each violation a separate offense (HRS 387-12(b)(4)). Discharging or discriminating against an employee for complaining about unpaid wages, or for instituting or testifying in a proceeding, is also a misdemeanor under HRS 387-12(b)(3).
The sections of chapter 387 reviewed for this page do not state a filing deadline for a minimum wage claim, so ask DLIR or a lawyer licensed in Hawaii how long you have. The federal remedy has its own clock: 29 U.S.C. 255(a) allows two years, or three years for a willful violation.
For related topics, see Hawaii final paycheck laws, Hawaii at-will employment laws and unpaid wages. To estimate overtime, use the overtime calculator.
Disclaimer: This page is general legal information, not legal advice. It covers the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law (HRS chapter 387) and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act as verified on September 28, 2026. For a specific pay situation, consult a lawyer licensed in Hawaii or the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Related pages
- Minimum wage by state
- Federal minimum wage rules
- Hawaii final paycheck laws
- Hawaii at-will employment laws
- Unpaid wages and how to claim them
- Overtime calculator
Last updated: November 6, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Hawaii?
$16.00 per hour since January 1, 2026, under HRS 387-2(a)(10).
What will the minimum wage be in Hawaii in 2027?
$16.00 per hour for all of 2027, with no change scheduled as of November 6, 2026. The next step, $18.00, is scheduled by HRS 387-2 for January 1, 2028.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Hawaii?
The minimum cash wage is $14.75 per hour for 2026 and 2027 ($16.00 minus a $1.25 credit). The employer may take the credit only if wages plus tips are at least $7.00 above the minimum wage.
How much must tipped workers in Hawaii make in total?
For the employer to take the tip credit in 2026 and 2027, wages plus tips must reach $23.00 per hour, per DLIR's tip credit table.
Who is exempt from the Hawaii minimum wage?
HRS 387-1 excludes, among others, employees guaranteed $4,000 or more a month, family members of the employer, executive and professional employees and outside salespersons.
Can a Hawaii employer pay teenagers less than the minimum wage?
The statute sets no youth wage. HRS 387-9 allows the director to set lower wages by rule for learners, apprentices and certain students under special certificates.
What can I recover if my employer pays less than the Hawaii minimum wage?
Under HRS 387-12, the unpaid wages plus an equal amount and 6 percent interest, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs if you sue and win. The employer also owes a separate penalty that goes to a state labor enforcement fund, not to the worker.
Where do I file a Hawaii wage complaint?
Contact the DLIR Wage Standards Division. Its Oahu office is at 830 Punchbowl Street, Room 340, Honolulu, phone (808) 586-8777.
Updates
Governing law re-checked for recent changes
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 387: WAGE AND HOUR LAW
§ 387-2Minimum wagesIn force
(a) Except as provided in section 387-9 and this section, every employer shall pay to each employee employed by the employer, wages at the rate of not less than: (1) $6.25 per hour beginning January 1, 2003; (2) $6.75 per hour beginning January 1, 2006; (3) $7.25 per hour beginning January 1, 2007; (4) $7.75 per hour beginning January 1, 2015; (5) $8.50 per hour beginning January 1, 2016; (6) $9.25 per hour beginning January 1, 2017; (7) $10.10 per hour beginning January 1, 2018; (8) $12.00 per hour beginning October 1, 2022; (9) $14.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2024; (10) $16.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2026; and (11) $18.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2028.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at capitol.hawaii.gov
§ 387-1DefinitionsIn force
As used in this chapter: "Agriculture" means agriculture as defined in section 3(f) of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, or as the same may be amended from time to time. "Casual basis" means employment that is: (1) Irregular or intermittent; and (2) Performed for a family or household who directly employs the individual providing the services. Employment is not on a casual basis, whether performed for one or more family or household employers, if the employment for all employers exceeds twenty hours per week in the aggregate. For babysitting or companionship services for the aged or infirm, employment is not on a casual basis if the service is performed by an individual whose vocation is the provision of babysitting or companionship services. "Companionship services for the aged or infirm" means those services that provide fellowship, care, and protection for an individual who, because of advanced age or physical or mental infirmity, cannot care for the individual's own needs.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at capitol.hawaii.gov
§ 387-12Penalties; collection of unpaid wages; injunctions; etcIn force
(a) Civil. Any employer who fails to pay wages in accordance with this chapter without equitable justification or violates this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter shall be liable: (1) To the employee, in addition to the wages legally proven to be due, for a sum equal to the amount of unpaid wages and interest at a rate of six per cent per year from the date that the wages were due; and (2) For a penalty of not less than $500 or $100 for each violation, whichever is greater. The penalty shall be deposited into the labor law enforcement special fund under section 371-12.5. (b) Criminal.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at capitol.hawaii.gov
§ 387-9Special minimum wages for learners; apprentices; full-time students; paroled wards of Hawaii youth correctional facilityIn force
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 387-2, the director, by rule, may provide for the employment of learners; apprentices; part-time employees who are full-time students attending public or private schools other than colleges, universities, business schools, or technical schools; and wards paroled from the Hawaii youth correctional facility, under special certificates issued by the director, at wages lower than the applicable minimum wage and subject to limitations as to time, number, proportion, and length of service as the director shall prescribe. (b) The director may by rule prescribe standards and requirements to ensure that this section will not create a substantial probability of reducing the full-time employment opportunities of persons other than those to whom the special minimum wage rate authorized by this section is applicable. [L Sp 1941, c 66, §6; RL 1945, §4359; RL 1955, §94-9; am L 1962, c 16, pt of §2; am L 1963, c 49, §3; HRS §387-9; am L 1974, c 14, §2; am L 2005, c 191, §2; am L 2021, c 55, §3]
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at capitol.hawaii.gov
§ 387-3Maximum hoursIn force
(a) No employer shall, except as otherwise provided in this section, employ any employee for a workweek longer than forty hours unless the employee receives overtime compensation for the employee's employment in excess of the hours above specified at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at which the employee is employed. For the purposes of this section[:] (1) "Salary" means a predetermined wage, exclusive of the reasonable cost of board, lodging, or other facilities, at which an employee is employed each pay period; (2) If an employee performs two or more different kinds of work for the same employer, the total earnings for all such work for the pay period shall be considered to have been earned for performing one kind of work. (b) The regular rate of an employee who is employed on a salary shall be computed as follows: (1) If the employee is employed on a weekly salary, the weekly salary and the reasonable cost of board, lodging, or other facilities, if furnished to the employee, shall be divided by forty.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at capitol.hawaii.gov
§ 387-6Employer's records; posting of notices; furnishing of pay data; director's rights and dutiesIn force
(a) Every employer shall keep in or about the premises wherein any employee is employed a contemporaneous, true, and accurate record of: (1) The name, address, and occupation of each employee; (2) The amount paid each pay period to each employee; (3) The hours worked each day and each workweek by each employee; (4) The rate or rates of pay of each employee and basis thereof, whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other basis; gross wages; deductions; allowances, if any, claimed as part of the minimum wage; and net wages; and (5) Any other information and for the periods of time as the director may by rule prescribe. The director or the director's authorized representative shall for the purpose of examination have access to and the right to copy the records. Every employer shall furnish to the director or the director's authorized representative any information relating to the employment of workers and in any manner as the director may prescribe.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at capitol.hawaii.gov
United States Code Title 29
§ 206Minimum wageIn forcecited in 49 of our articles
Every employer shall pay to each of his employees who in any workweek is engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, or is employed in an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, wages at the following rates: except as otherwise provided in this section, not less than— $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after May 25, 2007; $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day; if such employee is a home worker in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, not less than the minimum piece rate prescribed by regulation or order; or, if no such minimum piece rate is in effect, any piece rate adopted by such employer which shall yield, to the proportion or class of employees prescribed by regulation or order, not less than the applicable minimum hourly wage rate. Such minimum piece rates or employer piece rates shall be commensurate with, and shall be paid in lieu of, the minimum hourly wage rate applicable under the provisions of this section.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 6,250 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Mark D. Tourscher v. Martin Horn, Secretary of the Pa. Dept. Of Corrections John McCullough Superintendent ,(d.c. Civil No. 98-Cv-00176j) (Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 1999, 184 F.3d 236)“…wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 206 (a), for the work he was compelled to d…”
- Christensen v. Harris County (Supreme Court of the United States 2000, 529 U.S. 576)“…in the private sector of the economy or the public sector. 29 U. S. C. §§ 206 , 207 (1994 ed. and Supp. III). In 1985…”
- Barrentine v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc. (Supreme Court of the United States 1981, 450 U.S. 728)“…a minimum wage under § 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U. S. C. § 206 , may not be waived through a collectiv…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Ohio Debt Collection Laws: Garnishment Formula, the 6-Year Consumer Debt Rule, and Repossession, South Dakota Debt Collection Laws: The 20% Garnishment Cap and 120-Day Lien, Wage Theft in the U.S.: Your Rights Regardless of Immigration Status
§ 218Relation to other lawsIn forcecited in 52 of our articles
No provision of this chapter or of any order thereunder shall excuse noncompliance with any Federal or State law or municipal ordinance establishing a minimum wage higher than the minimum wage established under this chapter or a maximum work week lower than the maximum workweek established under this chapter, and no provision of this chapter relating to the employment of child labor shall justify noncompliance with any Federal or State law or municipal ordinance establishing a higher standard than the standard established under this chapter. No provision of this chapter shall justify any employer in reducing a wage paid by him which is in excess of the applicable minimum wage under this chapter, or justify any employer in increasing hours of employment maintained by him which are shorter than the maximum hours applicable under this chapter.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 312 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Philip Williamson Itzik Riefronda Kirlin Thomas Painter,plaintiffs-Appellants v. General Dynamics Corporation,opinion (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2000, 208 F.3d 1144)“…wage, hour, and child labor legislation. See 29 U.S.C. § 218 (a). 1 *1151…”
- United States v. Klinghoffer Bros. Realty Corp., Irving Jacobson and Albert Klinghoffer (Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 1961, 285 F.2d 487)“…agreement to accept reduced pay is valid, notwithstanding 29 U.S.C. § 218 . White v. Witwer Grocer Co., 8 Cir.,…”
- Pacific Merchant Shipping Ass'n v. Aubry (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 1990, 918 F.2d 1409)“…han the maximum workweek established under this chapter. 29 U.S.C. Section 218 (a). The employees and the United State…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Minimum Wage by State (2027): All 50 States and DC, Alabama Minimum Wage (2027): Still $7.25, No State Rate, Alaska Minimum Wage (2027): $14.00, Rising to $15.00 July 1
§ 255Statute of limitationsIn forcecited in 39 of our articles
Any action commenced on or after May 14, 1947, to enforce any cause of action for unpaid minimum wages, unpaid overtime compensation, or liquidated damages, under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended [29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.], the Walsh-Healey Act, or the Bacon-Davis Act 1 See References in Text note below. — if the cause of action accrues on or after May 14, 1947 —may be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrued, and every such action shall be forever barred unless commenced within two years after the cause of action accrued, except that a cause of action arising out of a willful violation may be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrued; if the cause of action accrued prior to May 14, 1947 —may be commenced within whichever of the following periods is the shorter: (1) two years after the cause of action accrued, or (2) the period prescribed by the applicable State statute of limitations; and, except as provided in paragraph (c), every such action shall be forever barred unless commenced within the shorter of such two periods; if the cause of action accrued prior to May 14, 1947, the action shall not be barred by paragraph (b)…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 2,924 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents (Supreme Court of the United States 2000, 528 U.S. 62)“…added to the statute of limitations provision of the FLSA, 29 U. S. C. § 255 , a new subsection (d), which suspended…”
- Oscar Mayer & Co. v. Evans (Supreme Court of the United States 1979, 441 U.S. 750)“…title shall apply to actions under this chapter." Title 29 U. S. C. § 255 provides in relevant part: "Any acti…”
- Phyllis Miller v. Maxwell's International Inc., Dba Maxwell's Plum, Debtor in Possession Carlo Galazzo, Gen. Mgt., Dino La Rosa Don Bohn Don Schupak (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 1993, 991 F.2d 583)“…o a more generous three-year statute of limitations. See 29 U.S.C. § 255 (a) (1988) (three-year statute of limit…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Independent Contractor vs. Employee: The IRS, DOL and ABC Tests, Arkansas Minimum Wage (2027): Still $11.00, No Change Scheduled, Colorado Minimum Wage (2027): $15.71 an Hour From Jan. 1
Sources and References
- HRS 387-2 (minimum wage and tip credit)(www.capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- Hawaii DLIR: minimum wage schedule(labor.hawaii.gov).gov
- DLIR tip credit notice(labor.hawaii.gov).gov
- DLIR minimum wage poster(labor.hawaii.gov).gov
- HRS 387-1 (definitions)(www.capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- HRS 387-9 (special certificates)(www.capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- HRS 387-12 (penalties and enforcement)(www.capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division(labor.hawaii.gov).gov
- 29 U.S.C. 206 (federal minimum wage)(www.law.cornell.edu)
- 29 U.S.C. 218 (relation to state law)(www.law.cornell.edu)
- DOL Wage and Hour Division minimum wage FAQ(www.dol.gov).gov
- 29 U.S.C. 255 (statute of limitations)(www.law.cornell.edu)