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Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania



Guide to Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania

Minimum wage laws apply in all fifty states of the United States.  minimum wage in PA depends on an employee's profession and whether or not they make income with tips.  This guide will explain how minimum wage in Pennsylvania works for both tipped and non-tipped employees, and what employees are exempt from traditional minimum wage laws.  You'll also learn how to report an employer for violations of laws about the minimum wage in PA.

Normal Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania

For most employees, the minimum wage in PA was increased in 2009 to $7.25 an hour.  No further increases are scheduled for the minimum wage in Pennsylvania at this time.  Minimum wage mployees working more than 40 hours in a week are required to be paid overtime wages consisting of one and a half times the normal minimum wage, or $11.88.  Overtime is not mandated for holidays or weekends unless those hours bring the employee to a total of more than 40 in a week.

No provisions exist for paying double time, unless an employee agreement or union contract stipulates double pay under certain conditions.  Employers are required to post the current minimum wage in PA prominently in the workplace where employees may see it.

Tipped Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania

Employees who receive at least $30 per month in tips are not required to be given the same minimum wage in PA as non-tipped employees.  Instead, a tipped employee may make just $2.83 an hour, as long as tips bring his or her wages up to the federal minimum wage level.  Employers are required to make sure an employee's pay is at least the level of the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, and if a worker has not received sufficient tips, employers must make up the difference.  It is not legal for an employer to deduct most expenses from a service employee's tips.  Generally speaking, a service employee's total compensation should always exceed the minimum wage in PA.

Exceptions to Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania

There are several exceptions that allow businesses to pay a wage to an employee that is less than the minimum wage in PA.  Students and learners are excluded from laws about the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, provided their employer seeks special permission for the exclusion.  Farm laborers and domestic employees are also not required to be paid minimum wage in PA.

Other jobs which do not entitle a person to any minimum wage in Pennsylvania include golf caddies, volunteers for non-profit organizations, summer camp employees, and people who deliver newspapers.  If you are working in one of these jobs, your employer may pay you any wage without violating minimum wage provisions.

Violations of Minimum Wage Laws

If your employer has not paid you the minimum wage in PA that you are entitled to, you may be able to file a complaint with the state.  The state can perform an investigation of your employer and give you back compensation for any hours you were underpaid for.  In order to file a complaint against your employer, you can go to this website: www.dli.state.pa.us/laborlaw.

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