Minimum wage in Iowa, 2000–2026
- Minimum wage in 2026
$7.25 an hour (federal and state law)1
The same as the federal rate.
- Tipped employees
$4.35 an hour in cash2
Employers may count up to $2.90 an hour of tips toward the minimum wage. Tipped: more than $30 a month in tips.
- Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours a week (federal FLSA)3
For covered employees who are not exempt.
The Iowa minimum wage rose from $5.15 in 2000 to $7.25 in 2008, still the rate in 2026
Line chart of the Iowa minimum wage against the federal minimum: $5.15 in 2000, $7.25 in 2010, $7.25 in 2020, and $7.25 in 2026. The federal minimum was $5.15 in 2000 and $7.25 in 2026.
What a full-time minimum-wage employee costs in Iowa
At $7.25 an hour for 40 hours a week, a new employer with 10 staff pays $15,080 in wages and $1,529 on top (10.1%) in payroll taxes and workers' comp.
- Wages (2,080 paid hours a year)
- $15,080
- Social Security (employer share)6.2%5 of $15,080
- $935
- Medicare (employer share)1.45%6 of $15,080
- $219
- Workers' compensation (benchmark index rate)$1.21 per $100 of payroll10
- $182
- Total a year
- $16,609
If you also offer single health coverage, the average employer here pays about $6,595 more a year: a $8,620 average premium11 less $2,025 paid by the employee11.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Iowa in 2026?
$7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate.
What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in Iowa?
$4.35 an hour in cash, with up to $2.90 of tips counted toward Iowa's $7.25.
How much does a minimum-wage employee cost an employer in Iowa?
About $16,609 a year full time at $7.25: $15,080 of pay plus $1,529 on top, $1,346 in payroll taxes and $182 in workers' comp, before any health coverage.
More minimum wage and employer cost pages
Employer costs in Iowa
States with a similar minimum wage
Data and rules for every state
Sources
The 12 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing dial.iowa.gov/hearings/wage-and-child-labor/wages“What is the current minimum wage? $7.25 per hour.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped“Definition of Tipped Employee by Minimum Tips received (monthly unless otherwise specified) … State requires employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the minimum cash wage required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ($2.13/hour) … Iowa $7.25 40% of the applicable minimum wage ($2.90) $4.35 More than $30”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Overtime Pay - US Department of Labor“Unless exempt, employees covered by the Act must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Changes in Basic Minimum Wages in Non-Farm Employment Under State Law: Selected Years 1968 to 2024“Iowa ... ... ... ... ... ... ... … Iowa ... 4.25 4.65 4.65 4.65 4.75 5.15 … Iowa 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 … Iowa 5.15 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Iowa 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Iowa 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25” “Federal (FLSA) $1.15 & $1.60 $1.30 & $1.60 $1.60 $2.20 & $2.30 $2.90 $3.10 $3.35 … Federal (FLSA) $3.35 $3.80 $4.25 $4.25 $4.25 $4.75 $5.15 … Federal (FLSA) $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 5.15 … Federal (FLSA) 5.15 5.85 6.55 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25”
- Internal Revenue Service IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide“For 2026, the social security tax rate is 6.2% (amount withheld) each for the employer and employee (12.4% total).”
- Social Security Administration ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html“Tax rates under the HI program are 1.45 percent for employees and employers, each, and 2.90 percent for self-employed persons.”
- Internal Revenue Service Topic no. 759, Form 940 – FUTA tax (IRS)“If you're entitled to the maximum 5.4% credit, the FUTA tax rate after credit is 0.6%.” “FUTA tax rate: The FUTA tax rate is 6.0%. The tax applies to the first $7,000 you paid to each employee as wages during the year.”
- Iowa Workforce Development workforce.iowa.gov/employers/unemployment-insurance/ui-tax-and-audit/unemployment-insurance-taxes“The table in effect for all private employers for 2026 is Table D … Contribution Rate D … 4 57.16% 2.100% 1.400% 0.600% 0.300% … With the exception of new construction employers, new employers are assigned the rate from rank 4 of the table in effect (the rank is not to go below 1.000%).”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“IA … $20,400”
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/cost/Pages/premium-index-rates.aspx“Premium index rate: $1.00-$1.25 … State Index rate Percent of study median … 19 14 Iowa 1.21 110%”
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MEPS-IC) meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/summ_tables/insr/state/series_2/2025/ic25_iia_f.pdf“Table II.C.1 Average total single premium (in dollars) per enrolled employee … Division and State Total … Iowa 8,620 9,361 8,425 8,264 8,811 8,587 8,572 8,629” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … Iowa 2,025 -- -- 2,165 1,923 2,047 2,150 2,003”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“Iowa … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $7.25”