What Are the Overtime Laws in Each State?

09 Jun What Are the Overtime Laws in Each State?

No matter which state you are in, you must follow federal overtime laws. However, many states have overtime regulations that are stricter than the federal rules. Because there are costly penalties for violating these regulations, it’s important to become aware of the overtime laws in each state before you conduct business in a new area. To learn more about what to expect, read on.

What Is the Federal Overtime Law?

Federally, overtime is regulated through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employees who are covered by the FLSA must receive time and a half once they have worked 40 hours in a workweek. This workweek must be a set time period of 168 hours.

There are specific exemptions under the FLSA for executive, administrative, professional, and highly compensated workers. However, there are strict rules about which workers are classified in this group, so it’s a good idea to talk to an HR company or employee company about whether your workers are exempt or nonexempt.

What Are the Overtime Laws in Each State in 2025?

While some states stick to the federal overtime law, other states have more detailed overtime requirements for employers. The following list includes a general overview of what state-by-state overtime rules look like. However, it’s important to keep in mind that each state’s laws are generally more nuanced than this overview. Because of this, it’s a good idea to consult with one of our HR experts or an employment lawyer to learn more about what to expect in your state and establish overtime policy for your organization.

For the latest updates to state minimum wage laws, visit the Department of Labor.

• Alabama: Overtime kicks in at 40 hours per week in Alabama, and there is no state minimum wage.
• Alaska: In Alaska, overtime begins after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Starting on July 1, 2025, the minimum wage will be $13.00 per hour.
• Arizona: Overtime pay begins at 40 hours a week. The state of Arizona requires an hourly minimum wage of $14.70 per hour.
• Arkansas: Arkansas requires overtime after 40 hours a week, and the minimum wage is $11.00 per hour.
• California: In California, overtime kicks in at 40 hours. If someone works seven days in a week, the seventh day is worked for 1.5 times their normal pay. Additionally, workers receive overtime after eight hours of work. They must be given double overtime after working 12 hours on a normal day or eight hours on the seventh day of work. The minimum wage in 2025 is $16.50 per hour.
• Colorado: Colorado requires overtime pay after someone reaches 12 hours in a day, 40 hours in a week, or 12 consecutive hours (regardless of the actual day). The minimum wage for 2025 is $14.81, but Denver, Boulder, and several other areas have their own minimum wages.
• Connecticut: Like most states, Connecticut requires overtime after 40 hours per week. The state’s minimum wage in 2025 is $16.35 per hour.
• Delaware: Overtime begins at 40 hours per week. In Delaware, the minimum wage is $15.00 per hour.
• Florida: Florida starts overtime at 40 hours. The minimum wage is $13.00 for most of 2025. On September 30, 2025, it will go up to $14.00 per hour.
• Georgia: Georgia technically has a minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, but the federal minimum wage is generally a requirement for most positions.
• Hawaii: Hawaii expects overtime pay after 40 hours. The state’s minimum wage is currently $14.00 per hour. This will go up to $16.00 per hour on January 1, 2026.
• Idaho: Overtime stars at 40 hours a week in Idaho. Like the federal minimum wage, the state’s minimum wage is $7.25.
• Illinois: In Illinois, overtime kicks in at 40 hours per week. The state’s minimum wage is $15.00 per hour.
• Indiana: Indiana follows federal overtime rules, so overtime kicks in at 40 hours a week. It uses the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
• Iowa: Iowa uses the federal minimum wage. Overtime also follows the federal guidance.
• Kansas: According to Kansas law, overtime kicks in at the 46-hour mark. However, all states are required to follow federal law, which requires overtime pay after someone reaches 40 hours per week.
• Kentucky: Kentucky requires overtime after 40 hours. It also happens to be just one of two states in the country that expects employers to pay workers 1.5 times their normal wage on the seventh day they work in a week. To qualify, the worker doesn’t have to work more than 40 hours. If they are working a seventh day in the same workweek, then the employer must pay them 1.5 times pay for the seventh day. Kentucky uses the federal minimum wage.
• Louisiana: Louisiana follows the federal 40-hour rule for overtime and the federal minimum wage.
• Maine: Maine requires overtime pay after 40 hours. However, Maine sets a maximum of 80 hours of overtime in any consecutive, two-week period. The current minimum wage is $14.65 per hour.
• Maryland: Maryland generally expects overtime at 40 hours. However, bowling establishments and places that provide care to the sick, disabled, or elderly (excluding hospitals) don’t have overtime until the worker reaches 48 hours. Agricultural workers don’t receive overtime until they reach 60 hours in a week. The state minimum wage is $15 per hour in 2025.
• Massachusetts: Massachusetts follows federal overtime rules. While the state doesn’t require overtime for restaurant workers, federal overtime laws still apply. The minimum wage is $15 per hour for most workers.
• Michigan: In Michigan, overtime pay kicks in after the worker reaches 40 hours. The minimum wage is currently $12.48, but employees under the age of 18 can be paid 85% of the standard wage.
• Minnesota: Under Minnesota state law, overtime starts at 48 hours. Minnesota, like other states, must follow federal law. In practice, this means employers must pay overtime after the 40-hour mark.
• Mississippi: Because Mississippi doesn’t have any state overtime laws, employers must follow the federal FLSA and pay workers overtime after they reach 40 hours a week. Additionally, Mississippi uses the federal minimum wage.
• Missouri: In Missouri, everyone except seasonal amusement and recreation businesses gets overtime pay at 40 hours. For these exceptions, overtime pay starts at 52 hours. Currently, the minimum wage is $13.75 per hour.
• Montana: Workplaces in Montana must pay overtime after the employee reaches 40 hours per workweek. Montana has a minimum wage of $10.55 per hour.
• Nebraska: Nebraska follows federal overtime laws and has a minimum wage of $13.50 per hour.
• Nevada: If someone earns less than 1.5 times the minimum wage per hour, they must be paid overtime after eight hours in a day. If they earn more than this amount, employers don’t have to pay overtime for shifts over eight hours. All workers receive overtime after 40 hours. The state’s minimum wage is $12 per hour.
• New Hampshire: In New Hampshire, the federal minimum wage and overtime laws apply.
• New Jersey: New Jersey follows the federal overtime laws. The minimum wage is $15.49 per hour.
• New Mexico: New Mexico uses the federal overtime laws and has a minimum wage of $12.00.
• New York: In New York, workers receive overtime after they reach 40 hours a week. Live-in workers get paid overtime after they reach 44 hours per week. The New York minimum wage is $15.50 per hour, but it is $16.50 per hour in New York City and several other areas.
• North Carolina: North Carolina uses the federal minimum wage and overtime rules. However, overtime doesn’t kick in for workers at seasonal amusements and recreational establishments until the worker reaches 45 hours.
• North Dakota: The state of North Dakota utilizes federal overtime laws and the federal minimum wage.
• Ohio: Ohio law requires employees to be paid at 1.5 times their wage rate if they work at least 40 hours in a week. Currently, the minimum wage is $10.70 for employers who bring in at least $194,000 in revenue.
• Oklahoma: Oklahoma follows federal overtime rules and the federal minimum wage.
• Oregon: In Oregon, employees start getting overtime after they reach their 40th hour of work. However, employees at manufacturing establishments can receive overtime after 10 hours of work in a single day. The minimum wage is $13.70 for non-urban areas, $14.70 for standard areas, and $15.95 for the Portland metro area.
• Pennsylvania: Workers in Pennsylvania receive overtime after working 40 hours a week. The state uses the federal minimum wage.
• Rhode Island: In general, Rhode Island workers must be paid overtime for working 40 or more hours in a week. However, employees at summer camps, agricultural workers, police officers, and a few other groups aren’t bound by this rule. Additionally, most jobs must be paid time and a half for any hours worked on Sundays or holidays. Currently, the Rhode Island minimum wage is $15 per hour.
• South Carolina: South Carolina uses the federal government’s overtime and minimum wage requirements.
• South Dakota: South Dakota doesn’t have any overtime laws, so it uses the federal overtime rules. Non-tipped employees get a minimum wage of $11.50 per hour.
• Tennessee: Tennessee doesn’t have its own overtime law, so it uses the FLSA and the federal minimum wage.
• Texas: In Texas, overtime begins after someone works 40 hours in a week. The state uses the federal minimum wage.
• Utah: Utah sticks to the federal rules for overtime and minimum wages.
• Vermont: Under Vermont law, employees at hospitals, retail shops, amusement and recreational establishments, restaurants, and hotels are exempt from getting overtime after 40 hours. However, any employee who qualifies for overtime under the FLSA must still be paid overtime wages. The Vermont minimum wage is $14.01 per hour.
• Virginia: For workers in Vermont, overtime begins after 40 hours of work. In 2025, Vermont’s minimum wage is $14.01 per hour.
• Washington: Most workers in Washington must be paid overtime after 40 hours. In 2021, the state passed a law requiring overtime pay for agricultural workers who are paid by hour or piece rate. The state’s minimum wage is $16.66 per hour.
• West Virginia: West Virginia follows the federal overtime laws. The minimum wage is $8.75 per hour as long as there are at least six workers at the work location.
• Wisconsin: Everyone who works 40 hours or more in Wisconsin gets overtime pay. Minors who are 16 and 17 years old also receive overtime if they work more than 10 hours in a day. Wisconsin uses the federal minimum wage.
• Wyoming: Wyoming relies on the FLSA for its overtime rules. While Wyoming technically has a minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, any business that is covered by the FLSA must use the federal minimum wage.

California Has Special Double Overtime Rules

In California, you must pay time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a week, over eight in a day, and the first eight on the employee’s seventh day of work. After 12 hours of work in a day, the employee must be paid double their normal pay rate. Additionally, they must be paid double after they finish working eight hours on their seventh day of work in a week.

Which States Have Daily Overtime Laws?

Currently, Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon have overtime rules that go into effect after the employee has worked more than a certain amount on a given day. The rules vary between each state, so it may take anywhere between 8 and 12 hours of work in a single day before the employee gets overtime pay.

Get Help Navigating Your State-by-State Overtime Laws

Understanding the evolving regulatory framework can be challenging. An FLSA audit can help you determine whether your company is currently in compliance with state and federal overtime laws. If you need help dealing with your state’s overtime laws, reach out to our team of payroll experts today.

This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.