The Hawaii minimum wage is $16.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026, and it is set to rise to $18.00 on January 1, 2028.1State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division. Minimum Wage and Overtime Because the state rate is more than double the federal floor of $7.25, the Hawaii rate is what applies to workers in the state.2U.S. Department of Labor. Minimum Wage It applies statewide, on every island, regardless of employer size or industry.
No further increases are written into the statute beyond 2028. Any raise after that would take new legislation.1State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division. Minimum Wage and Overtime
What Tipped Workers Must Be Paid
Hawaii lets employers pay tipped employees a base hourly wage below $16.00, but only under strict conditions. In 2026, the tip credit is $1.25 per hour, so the lowest base wage an employer can pay is $14.75.3U.S. Department of Labor. Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees Wages and tips combined must reach at least $23.00 per hour, which is $7.00 above the minimum wage. If tips fall short of that combined threshold, the employer has to make up the difference.4Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Wage Standards Division – Tip Credit Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law
When the minimum wage rises to $18.00 in 2028, the tip credit goes up to $1.50 per hour, the base tipped wage becomes $16.50, and the combined wage-and-tip threshold rises to $25.00.4Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Wage Standards Division – Tip Credit Under the Hawaii Wage and Hour Law
Federal law also bars managers, supervisors, and owners from taking any share of employee tips or joining a tip pool, even where no tip credit is claimed. A manager who personally serves a customer can keep tips from that service but cannot draw from the shared pool.5U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 15B – Managers and Supervisors Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Tips
Overtime
Overtime kicks in after 40 hours in a workweek and is paid at one and a half times the regular rate.1State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division. Minimum Wage and Overtime For a minimum-wage worker in 2026, that’s at least $24.00 per overtime hour.
Public construction work runs on a tighter clock. Overtime starts after 8 hours in a single day, and every hour worked on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays counts as overtime.1State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division. Minimum Wage and Overtime
Who Isn’t Covered
Hawaii’s wage and hour law exempts several categories of workers from the minimum wage and overtime rules:
- Executive, administrative, supervisory, and professional employees, plus outside salespeople.6Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-1 – Definitions
- Anyone with guaranteed compensation of $4,000 or more per month.7U.S. Department of Labor. State Minimum Wage Laws
- Workers employed by a parent, spouse, sibling, or child.6Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-1 – Definitions
- Casual household workers and companionship-service providers for elderly or infirm people. Regular domestic workers remain covered.7U.S. Department of Labor. State Minimum Wage Laws
- Students working for the nonprofit school they attend.6Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-1 – Definitions
- Agricultural workers on small farms, commercial fishing crews, merchant mariners, golf caddies, taxi drivers on call from a fixed stand, and seasonal staff at nonprofit youth camps.6Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-1 – Definitions
Workers with disabilities are not on that list. Hawaii repealed its subminimum wage certificates, so employees with disabilities must be paid the full $16.00 rate.
What Happens When Employers Underpay
Paying less than the required minimum wage is a class C felony in Hawaii, with a fine of at least $500 per violation. Each underpaid pay period counts as its own offense.8Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-12 – Penalties, Collection Of
Other willful wage and hour violations, including retaliating against a worker for filing a complaint, are misdemeanors carrying fines of $500 to $5,000, up to one year in jail, or both.8Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-12 – Penalties, Collection Of
On top of criminal penalties, an employer that violates minimum wage or overtime rules owes affected workers the full amount of unpaid wages. If the violation was willful, the employer owes that same amount again as liquidated damages, doubling the recovery.8Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 387-12 – Penalties, Collection Of
How to File a Wage Complaint
If you think you’re being paid less than $16.00 an hour, or that your overtime or tips are being handled improperly, you can file a complaint with the Wage Standards Division of the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. No appointment is required. You can reach the Oahu office or the nearest district office by phone, mail, or in person, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.9State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division. Filing a Complaint with Wage Standards Division
A specialist first conducts a preliminary interview to work out which law applies, whether you’re covered, and whether the complaint is timely. If a possible violation exists, you’ll get a complaint form to complete and sign, and the division then reviews and accepts it for processing.9State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division. Filing a Complaint with Wage Standards Division Hold on to your own pay stubs, time records, and any written messages about pay. That documentation is what carries the case.