Missouri wage and hour laws set a $15.00 minimum wage for 2026, require overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, and give workers three years to pursue unpaid wages through the Division of Labor Standards or the courts. The core rules live in Sections 290.500 through 290.530 of the Revised Statutes, and the Division of Labor Standards within the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations enforces them.
The 2026 Minimum Wage
Every covered employer in Missouri must pay at least $15.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026.1Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage The rate comes from Section 290.502, which set the minimum at $13.75 for 2025 and added $1.25 for 2026.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.502 – Minimum Wage Rate, Increase or Decrease, When If the federal minimum wage ever climbs above $15.00, that higher federal rate automatically becomes Missouri’s floor as well.
A change that took effect August 28, 2025, extended the state minimum wage to public employers, including state agencies, cities, counties, school districts, and other political subdivisions.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.502 – Minimum Wage Rate, Increase or Decrease, When Government positions were handled differently before that date. The practical result is that nearly every employer in the state now owes the $15.00 floor.
Tipped Employees
Section 290.512 lets employers pay tipped workers no less than 50% of the state minimum wage in direct cash, as long as tips bring the total up to the full minimum.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.512 – Gratuities, Goods or Services as Part of Wages, Effect on Minimum Wage Requirements At the 2026 rate, that means a cash wage of at least $7.50 per hour for tipped jobs.
The employer takes the risk. If a server’s tips in a given pay period don’t lift the hourly total to $15.00, the employer has to make up the difference. This isn’t averaged across months. It’s measured pay period by pay period.
Meals, lodging, or other goods and services provided as part of the job can also count toward the minimum wage at fair market value, but the employer still owes any remaining amount in cash.
Overtime
Hours beyond 40 in a single workweek must be paid at time and a half.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.505 – Overtime Compensation, Applicable Number of Hours, Exceptions For a minimum-wage worker in 2026, that comes to $22.50 per hour. Employers can’t average hours across two weeks or use a biweekly pay cycle to dodge the 40-hour trigger.
One Missouri-specific carveout applies to amusement and recreation businesses that meet the federal criteria in 29 U.S.C. § 213(a)(3). Their employees don’t reach the overtime threshold until 52 hours in a workweek. After that, time and a half applies normally.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.505 – Overtime Compensation, Applicable Number of Hours, Exceptions
Beyond that, Missouri’s overtime exemptions track the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Section 290.505 states that anyone exempt from federal overtime under 29 U.S.C. §§ 207 and 213 is also exempt from Missouri overtime.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.505 – Overtime Compensation, Applicable Number of Hours, Exceptions The most common federal exemption covers salaried executive, administrative, and professional workers. After a federal court vacated the Department of Labor’s 2024 rule that would have raised the salary cutoff, the current minimum salary for this exemption stays at $684 per week, or $35,568 per year.5U.S. Department of Labor. Earnings Thresholds for the Executive, Administrative, and Professional Exemption Meeting that salary alone isn’t enough. The worker’s actual duties must also fit one of the exempt categories.
Pay Frequency and Final Paychecks
Non-exempt workers must be paid at least twice a month. Section 290.080 establishes that semi-monthly schedule, and violating it is a misdemeanor. Salaried exempt employees can be paid monthly.
Final pay depends on how the job ends. When an employer fires or lays off a worker, all wages owed are due at the time of termination, with no grace period.6Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. If an Employee Is Terminated When Are His or Her Final Wages Due When an employee quits, no separate Missouri statute sets a special deadline, so the final paycheck is due by the next regular payday.7Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. If an Employee Quits His Job, When Are the Final Wages Due to Him
If an employer misses either deadline, the worker can take the claim to small claims court for amounts under $5,000. Larger claims require a private lawsuit in circuit court.7Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. If an Employee Quits His Job, When Are the Final Wages Due to Him
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 left to company policy, individual agreement, or a union contract.8Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Are Breaks or Lunch Periods Required
Federal rules still govern how any breaks you do get must be paid. Short rest breaks of roughly 5 to 20 minutes count as work time under FLSA regulations and must be paid. A meal period of 30 minutes or more can go unpaid, but only if you are completely relieved of duties. Being told to watch a register or answer the phone during lunch converts that time back into paid work.
Workers Who Aren’t Covered
Section 290.500 defines “employee” broadly, but it also lists a number of workers who fall outside Missouri’s minimum wage protections.9Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.500 – Definitions An exempt worker has no state minimum wage claim even if they’re being paid less than $15.00. The main exclusions:
- Bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees, mirroring the federal white-collar exemptions.
- Workers already covered by the federal minimum wage under the FLSA. In practice the higher of the two rates still protects you.
- Volunteers for charitable, educational, or religious organizations where no real employer-employee relationship exists.
- Seasonal camp workers employed fewer than four months a year at a children’s or youth camp, or at a nonprofit educational conference center.
- Commission salespeople whose hours and work locations are not substantially controlled by the employer.
- Casual domestic workers, including babysitters hired on a casual basis, companions for the elderly or infirm, and anyone working occasionally in a private residence for six hours or less at a time.
Agricultural workers are defined separately in the statute and are not listed among the explicit exemptions in Section 290.500. Federal FLSA agricultural exemptions may still apply depending on the size of the farm operation.
Rules for Workers Under 16
Missouri child labor law applies to workers under 16. Children under 14 generally can’t work at all, aside from narrow exceptions for agriculture, entertainment, and casual work such as yard chores.10Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Youth Employment
Workers who are 14 or 15 face hour limits that change with the calendar:11Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Acceptable Work and Hours for Youth
- During the school year, from Labor Day through June 1: work is allowed only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., with a maximum of 3 hours on school days and 8 hours on weekends or school breaks, and no more than 6 days per week.
- During summer, from June 1 through Labor Day: hours extend to 7 a.m. through 9 p.m., with up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, still capped at 6 days.
Employers covered by the FLSA have to follow whichever law is stricter. The state Department of Labor warns that some Missouri provisions are more lenient than federal child labor rules, and following only the state version will put the employer in violation of federal law.10Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Youth Employment
Filing a Wage Complaint
If you believe you’ve been underpaid, denied overtime, or stiffed on a final paycheck, the Division of Labor Standards accepts complaints on Form LS-51, the Minimum Wage Complaint Form.12Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage Complaint Form LS-51 The form’s name is narrow but it covers underpayment of regular wages and overtime too, not just the minimum wage itself.
You’ll need the employer’s name as it appears on your paycheck, the employer’s address, and the amount you believe you’re owed. Submit the form through the Department of Labor’s online portal or mail it to the Division of Labor Standards at P.O. Box 449, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0449.13Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. File a Minimum Wage Complaint You can also call 573-751-3403 or email minimumwage@labor.mo.gov to start the process.
Gather your pay stubs, any personal time logs, and records of the dates you worked before filing. Text messages or emails with your employer about pay help too. An investigator will review the claim and contact the employer for payroll records and a response.
The Three-Year Deadline
You have three years from the date wages were due to file a legal action for unpaid wages under Missouri law.14Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 290.527 – Action for Underpayment of Wages, Employee May Bring, Limitation The clock starts on the payday when you should have been paid, not when you discovered the shortage. Waiting past the deadline means losing the right to collect even well-documented underpayments. Filing sooner preserves your ability to recover the full amount.