Minimum wage in Missouri, 2000–2027
- Minimum wage in 2026
$15 an hour1
In force since Jan 1, 2026.
- On January 1, 2027
$15 an hour, no change2
The source sets the same rate for 2027.
- Tipped employees
$7.50 an hour in cash3
Employers may count up to $7.50 an hour of tips toward the minimum wage.
- Overtime
Premium pay after 40 hours a week4
As the U.S. DOL summarizes it: Premium Pay After Designated Hours 2 : Weekly - 40
The Missouri minimum wage rose from $5.15 in 2000 to $15 in 2026
Line chart of the Missouri minimum wage against the federal minimum: $5.15 in 2000, $7.25 in 2010, $9.45 in 2020, $15 in 2026, and $15 in 2027. The federal minimum was $5.15 in 2000 and $7.25 in 2026.
What a full-time minimum-wage employee costs in Missouri
At $15 an hour for 40 hours a week, a new employer with 10 staff pays $31,200 in wages and $3,051 on top (9.8%) in payroll taxes and workers' comp. At the 2027 rate of $15 with 2026 payroll tax rates: $34,251 a year.
- Wages (2,080 paid hours a year)
- $31,200
- Social Security (employer share)6.2%6 of $31,200
- $1,934
- Medicare (employer share)1.45%7 of $31,200
- $452
- Workers' compensation (benchmark index rate)$1.31 per $100 of payroll10
- $409
- Total a year
- $34,251
If you also offer single health coverage, the average employer here pays about $6,435 more a year: a $8,084 average premium11 less $1,649 paid by the employee11.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Missouri in 2026?
$15 an hour since Jan 1, 2026: $31,200 a year at full time.
What will the minimum wage be in Missouri in 2027?
$15 an hour on January 1, 2027, the same as in 2026 (HB 567, enacted in 2025, ended the yearly inflation adjustment): $31,200 for a full-time year.
What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in Missouri?
$7.50 an hour in cash, with up to $7.50 of tips counted toward Missouri's $15.
How much does a minimum-wage employee cost an employer in Missouri?
About $34,251 a year full time at $15: $31,200 of pay plus $3,051 on top, $2,643 in payroll taxes and $409 in workers' comp, before any health coverage.
How has the Missouri minimum wage changed since 2000?
The Missouri minimum wage rose from $5.15 in 2000 to $15 in 2026. On the way: $7.25 in 2010 and $9.45 in 2020, per the U.S. DOL.
When do Missouri employers have to pay overtime?
The U.S. DOL lists Missouri's premium pay as «Premium Pay After Designated Hours 2 : Weekly - 40».
More minimum wage and employer cost pages
Employer costs in Missouri
States with a similar minimum wage
Data and rules for every state
Sources
The 11 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
- Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations labor.mo.gov/DLS/MinimumWage“$15.00 MISSOURI MINIMUM WAGE IN EFFECT FOR 2026”
- Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations labor.mo.gov/news/press-releases/minimum-wage-increases-1500-hour-2026“Pursuant to provisions in HB 567 (2025), the minimum wage will no longer be annually adjusted by the Consumer Price Index.”
- 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) … Missouri $15.00 50% of the applicable minimum wage ($7.50) $7.50 Not specified”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“Missouri … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $15.00 … Premium Pay After Designated Hours 2 : Weekly - 40”
- 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“Missouri ... ... ... ... ... ... ... … Missouri ... 3.80 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.75 5.15 … Missouri 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 … Missouri 6.50 6.65 7.05 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.35 … Missouri 7.50 7.65 7.65 7.70 7.85 9.45 … Missouri 9.45 10.30 11.15 12.00 12.30” “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.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“New employer rate shown is the base rate. … MO … 2.376%” “MO … $9,000”
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/cost/Pages/premium-index-rates.aspx“Premium index rate: $1.25-$1.50 … State Index rate Percent of study median … 16 13 Missouri 1.31 120%”
- 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 … Missouri 8,084 8,417 8,597 7,440 8,724 7,931 8,370 8,039” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … Missouri 1,649 -- 1,559 * 1,265 1,736 1,652 1,671 1,645”