Rhode Island Minimum Wage Calculator 2026

Rhode Island's minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, more than double the $7.25 federal floor that still governs states without their own higher standard. The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training enforces the state rate, and because it exceeds the federal minimum, $16.00 is what nearly every covered employee in the state must be paid. The rate has climbed through a series of legislated step increases rather than automatic inflation indexing.

Tipped workers fall under a separate rule. An employer may pay a cash wage as low as $3.89 an hour and claim a tip credit for the difference, but only if the worker's tips bring total earnings to at least the full $16.00; if they fall short, the employer must make up the gap. Coverage is broad, reaching most private-sector jobs, though certain categories like some agricultural work and minors in specific situations have separate provisions. Unlike some larger states, Rhode Island does not generally see cities setting their own higher local minimums, so the statewide figure is what applies almost everywhere.