Labor laws in Missouri set a $15.00 per hour minimum wage as of January 1, 2026, require overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, and give discharged employees the right to fast final paychecks, a written explanation for their firing, and 180 days to file a discrimination complaint. The details shift depending on employer size, industry, and how you left the job.
Minimum Wage in Missouri
The state minimum wage rose to $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2026, up from $13.75 the year before.1Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage Voters set this rate through a ballot measure written directly into statute.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.502 – Minimum Wage Rate – Increase or Decrease, When
Tipped employees can be paid a base rate of $7.50 per hour, half the full minimum. That only works if tips bring the worker’s total pay up to at least $15.00 per hour. When tips fall short in a given pay period, the employer has to make up the difference.3Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. What Amount Must an Employer Pay a Tipped Employee
Not every job is covered. Retail and service businesses with annual gross sales under $500,000 are exempt from the state minimum wage.4Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Is There Any Exemption for the Small Business Employer Public school districts and certain seasonal roles also sit outside the state rate.
Overtime Pay
Hours over 40 in a single workweek must be paid at one and a half times your regular rate.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.505 – Overtime Compensation, Applicable Number of Hours, Exceptions For someone at the $15.00 minimum, overtime hours pay $22.50.
Missouri follows the federal exemption rules under 29 U.S.C. ยง 213. Executive, administrative, and professional employees who meet the federal salary and duties tests are exempt from overtime.6Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.505 – Overtime Compensation, Applicable Number of Hours, Exceptions Misclassification is where disputes surface. A job title of “manager” does not by itself make you exempt. If your actual duties don’t involve independent judgment or supervising other workers, you should be earning overtime for hours past 40.
How Often You Must Be Paid
Missouri corporations must pay employees at least twice per month and within 16 days after the pay period ends.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.080 – Employees Paid Semimonthly, Exception – Statement of Deductions – Violation, Misdemeanor Executives, administrative and professional employees, and commissioned salespeople can be paid monthly if the employer chooses.
Employers also owe you a written statement of total deductions at least once a month. Violating the pay frequency rule is a misdemeanor with fines of $50 to $500 per offense.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.080 – Employees Paid Semimonthly, Exception – Statement of Deductions – Violation, Misdemeanor The state does not, however, require the detailed itemized pay stub that some other states mandate. The monthly deductions statement is the only stub requirement in the statute.
Breaks and Meal Periods
Missouri has no state law requiring rest breaks or meal periods for adult workers. Whether you get a lunch break, and how long it lasts, is a matter of company policy or a union contract.8Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Are Breaks or Lunch Periods Required The same rule applies to minors; there is no mandatory meal break for younger workers either.9Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Acceptable Work and Hours for Youth – Section: Breaks and Lunch
When breaks are offered, federal rules control whether they get paid. Short breaks of roughly 5 to 20 minutes count as paid work time. Meal periods of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid, but only if you are completely relieved of duties. If you’re expected to answer phones or watch equipment while eating, that time is compensable.
Final Paychecks After a Firing or Layoff
Missouri is an at-will state. Either side can end the job at any time for any lawful reason. What the law strictly controls is how fast your last paycheck arrives.
When an employer fires or lays you off, all unpaid wages are due on the day of discharge. If the employer doesn’t pay, you can submit a written request for the money. If it still doesn’t arrive within seven days of that written request, your regular daily wages continue to accrue against the employer for each additional day of delay, up to 60 days’ worth of extra pay.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.110 – Payment Due Discharged Employee – Exceptions – Penalty for Delay That penalty can easily reach thousands of dollars, which is why careful employers pay on the termination date itself.
Workers who quit voluntarily fall outside this accelerated timeline. Their final wages are typically due on the next regular payday.
Missouri does not require employers to pay out accrued but unused vacation, holiday pay, or severance at the end of the job unless a company policy or an employment contract promises it.11Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Wages, Hours and Dismissal Rights Check the handbook language before assuming those payouts are coming.
The Right to a Written Reason for Your Firing
Missouri is one of the few states with a service letter statute. If you worked for a corporation with seven or more employees for at least 90 days and were fired or quit within the past year, you can demand a written letter explaining why you left.12Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.140 – Letter of Dismissal, When – Failure to Issue, Damages – Punitive Damages, Limitations
The request must be in writing, sent by certified mail to the employer’s superintendent, manager, or registered agent, and must specifically reference the statute. The employer then has 45 days to send a signed letter describing the nature and duration of your service and the true reason for your separation.13Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.140 – Letter of Dismissal, When – Failure to Issue, Damages – Punitive Damages, Limitations
A misleading letter exposes the employer to compensatory damages. An outright refusal to send one can bring nominal and punitive damages. Many workers never hear about this right, and many employers don’t realize they’re exposed until the certified letter shows up.
Discrimination Complaints
The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in hiring, pay, promotions, discipline, or firing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, or disability.14Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 213.055 – Unlawful Employment Practices – Exceptions The protections cover every stage of the job, from postings through termination.
The deadline is short. Complaints must be filed with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights within 180 days of the discriminatory act.15Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. File a Complaint of Discrimination Six months passes quickly when you are dealing with a job loss or a hostile work environment. Missing that window generally ends any state-level claim.
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
Most Missouri employers with five or more employees are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Construction employers face a tougher rule: any company that erects, demolishes, alters, or repairs improvements must carry coverage from the first employee, regardless of headcount.16Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 287.030 – Employer Defined
Smaller employers can voluntarily elect coverage. Family members employed in the business count toward the total when deciding whether coverage is mandatory. Workers’ compensation covers medical care and lost wages for on-the-job injuries, and in return the employer is generally shielded from personal injury lawsuits over workplace accidents.
Paid Sick Leave
Missouri briefly had a statewide paid sick leave requirement under Proposition A, approved by voters in 2024. The state legislature repealed that requirement effective August 28, 2025.17Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 290.603 – Paid Sick Leave Required, When Employers may still offer paid sick leave, but as of 2026 no state law requires it.
Rules for Workers Under 16
Chapter 294 of the Revised Statutes governs employment of workers under age 16. Children under 14 generally cannot be employed at all, with narrow exceptions for agriculture and entertainment.18Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.021 – Minors Under Fourteen Not to Be Employed, Exception
Workers aged 14 and 15 are held to hour and timing limits that track federal standards: no more than 3 hours on a school day or 8 hours on a non-school day, with a weekly cap of 18 hours during the school year and 40 hours during summer. They cannot work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. during the school year, though the evening limit extends to 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day.19Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Acceptable Work and Hours for Youth Actual hour limits on a work certificate follow the school calendar of the school the minor attends.20Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.045 – Superintendent of Schools to Issue Work Certificates
Before a minor starts, the employer must obtain a work certificate. The certificate is issued by the superintendent of the school district where the child lives, the chief executive of a charter school the child attends, or an authorized school administrator, not the Department of Labor.20Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 294.045 – Superintendent of Schools to Issue Work Certificates Minors are also barred from hazardous work, including operating heavy machinery, handling explosives, and working with toxic substances.