Ohio Minimum Wage in 2026
Ohio’s minimum wage is $11.00 an hour in 2026 for most workers. Tipped workers can be paid $5.50 an hour in cash if tips make up the rest. Both figures come from the Ohio Department of Commerce, which sets the rate each year under the state constitution (Ohio Department of Commerce).
Key facts
- The rate rises to $11.40 on January 1, 2027, a 3.5% inflation increase (Ohio Department of Commerce).
- The tipped cash wage rises to $5.70, half the full minimum.
- Businesses with yearly gross receipts of $405,000 or less can pay the federal $7.25.
- Ohio voters put the yearly increase in the state constitution in 2006 (Art. II, Sec. 34a).
- $22,880
- a year for full-time work at $11.00 in 2026, before taxes
- $23,712
- a year at $11.40 in 2027
- $15,080
- a year at the federal $7.25
A full-time worker at Ohio’s 2026 rate earns $7,800 more a year than one paid the federal minimum, which has not changed since 2009. These figures assume the same full-time year our minimum wage explainer uses.
Ohio Minimum Wage in 2027
On September 30, 2026, the Ohio Department of Commerce announced the 2027 rate: $11.40 an hour, effective January 1, 2027. The increase tracks the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers over the 12 months that ended August 31, 2026, which rose 3.5%. For a full-time worker, that adds about $832 a year (Ohio Department of Commerce).
The constitution sets the formula, so the governor and legislature do not vote on each increase. The amendment started the rate at $6.85 on January 1, 2007 and raises it every January by inflation, rounded to the nearest five cents (Art. II, Sec. 34a).
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Michigan | $13.73 |
| Ohio | $11 |
| West Virginia | $8.75 |
| Indiana | $7.25 |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 |
| Kentucky | $7.25 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws (updated July 1, 2026). Rates as of October 14, 2026.
Among Ohio’s neighbors, only Michigan pays more in 2026. Indiana, Pennsylvania and Kentucky use the federal $7.25 for most workers.
Who Ohio Pays the Federal Rate
Two groups can be paid the federal $7.25 instead of Ohio’s rate: workers at small businesses and 14- and 15-year-olds. The small-business line moves with inflation too.
Who gets Ohio's minimum wage, 2026 and 2027
Source: Ohio Department of Commerce, September 30, 2026; Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 34a
The constitution also exempts family members working in a solely family-owned and operated business (Art. II, Sec. 34a). It lets the state license lower wages for some workers with disabilities.
Tipped Minimum Wage in Ohio
Ohio employers can pay tipped workers $5.50 an hour in cash in 2026, but only if tips bring the total to at least $11.00 for every hour. The constitution caps the tip credit at half the minimum wage, so the cash wage rises with it, to $5.70 in 2027. If tips fall short, the employer must make up the difference (Art. II, Sec. 34a).
Why Ohio Cities Cannot Raise Wages
A 2016 Ohio law bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage for private employers. So Columbus, Cleveland or Cincinnati cannot adopt a higher local floor. A higher floor for Ohio workers would have to come from the General Assembly, a statewide ballot measure, or Congress. Our preemption explainer shows which states block local wages.
Ohio Wages by Situation
Open the situation closest to yours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Ohio minimum wage, by situation
I am paid less than $11.00 an hour
- Write down your hours and pay for each week.
- Ask your employer in writing whether the business has yearly receipts of $405,000 or less, the only reason most adults can be paid $7.25.
- File a complaint with the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration.
The constitution says the state must investigate each complaint promptly and keep your name confidential unless disclosure is needed and you agree.
My tips do not reach the minimum
- Track your cash wage and reported tips for every shift.
- Ask your employer to make up the shortfall for that pay period.
- If they will not, file a complaint with the Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration.
Tips plus the $5.50 cash wage must reach $11.00 for every hour.
Where Things Stand
Ohio minimum wage laws
As of October 3, 2026
- Ohio minimum wage (Ohio Constitution, art. II, sec. 34a) Law, $11.00 an hour in 2026
Rises to $11.40 on January 1, 2027, a 3.5% inflation adjustment announced September 30, 2026. (source)
- Small business and under-16 rate Law, $7.25, the federal rate
Applies to businesses with yearly gross receipts of $405,000 or less in 2026 ($420,000 in 2027), and to 14- and 15-year-olds. (source)
- Local minimum wages Law, Blocked by state law
Ohio law (Ohio Rev. Code § 4111.02, 2016) bars cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage. (source)
Source: Ohio Department of Commerce; Ohio Constitution; Economic Policy Institute
Ohio Minimum Wage Questions
What is the minimum wage in Ohio in 2026?
$11.00 an hour for most workers, and $5.50 in cash for tipped workers whose tips make up the rest. Workers at businesses with yearly receipts of $405,000 or less, and 14- and 15-year-olds, can be paid the federal $7.25.
What will Ohio's minimum wage be in 2027?
$11.40 an hour from January 1, 2027, a 3.5% inflation increase the Ohio Department of Commerce announced on September 30, 2026. The tipped cash wage rises to $5.70, and the small-business line rises to $420,000 in yearly receipts.
Why does the Ohio minimum wage go up every year?
A constitutional amendment Ohio voters passed in 2006 raises the rate every January 1 by the change in the consumer price index for urban wage earners, rounded to the nearest five cents. No new law is needed for each increase.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Ohio?
$5.50 an hour in cash in 2026 and $5.70 in 2027, half the full minimum. Tips must bring the total to at least $11.00 an hour in 2026, or the employer pays the difference.
What You Can Do
- Check your January 2027 paycheck. Most Ohio workers should earn at least $11.40 an hour from January 1.
- Keep your own record of hours and pay. The constitution also requires employers to keep these records for at least three years and give them to you free on request.
- Report unpaid wages to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration.
- Ask candidates where they stand. Every Ohio House seat is on the November 3, 2026 ballot, and only the state can change the preemption law. See our Ohio governor race guide.
- Compare other states on our minimum wage by state page.