When you are doing business in the U.S., whether you’re a business or franchise owner, or if you are an employee working in Wyoming, it is crucial to understand and know the minimum wage law and, subsequently, your rights when it comes to your minimum wage rate. Whether it is paying employees, or being paid yourself – let’s take a look at the Wyoming state minimum wage.
There’s an awful lot you have to keep track of when knowing how much to legally pay workers, or be paid yourself, especially as some states have started to increase their minimum wage multiple times in a calendar year. Every state has a specific minimum wage, most are measured via the consumer price index. However, there are still many states that use the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour as a measure of what workers can be paid at a minimum.
Although the minimum wage in Wyoming is only $5.15 per hour, the majority of employees in the state will be covered by the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), meaning they will be paid a minimum of $7.25 p/hr (federal minimum wage) or higher. The graphic below highlights the Wyoming minimum wage over the past several years. The minimum wage did not go up and remains at $7.25 per hour in 2024.
If you are a full-time worker on minimum wage in Wyoming, your earnings could be as follows:
- Daily Minimum Wage: $58.00 (based on an 8-hour working day).
- Weekly Minimum Wage: $290.00 (based on a 40-hour week).
- Yearly Minimum Wage: $15,080.00 (based on being paid 52 weeks per year).
The Wyoming minimum wage 2024 hasn’t increased from the previous year, in fact, it hasn’t increased since 2009 when the federal minimum wage last increased. Most employers will have to abide by the minimum wage set for the state for all employees if they plan to pay minimum wage.
So far there have been no talks of a Wyoming minimum wage increase in the future to surpass the federal wage of $7.25 per hour, and there have been no signs of an impending federal minimum wage increase either. Wyoming has the joint lowest minimum wage in the nation.
The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services enforces the minimum wage in Wyoming – $7.25 per hour. The Workforce Standards Division is responsible for the Workers Compensation Program as well as regulatory and compliance/enforcement. Which includes Workers’ Compensation Claims and Employer Services, Workers’ Compensation Safety and Risk (WCSR) and Wyoming Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor Standards, and Employment Tax.
You can view and download the official Wyoming state minimum wage labor law poster for 2024 here at no charge. Employers must display a poster outlining the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), ensuring that accurate employee time and pay records are kept.
Wyoming Minimum Wage History
The table below shows the current rate and history of Wyoming’s minimum wage over the past 40+ years since 1983. You can see when there were increases in the minimum wage, how much they were, and what percentage increase it represents each year.
| Year | Minimum Wage | Increase ($) | Increase (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2023 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2022 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2021 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2020 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2019 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2018 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2017 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2016 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2015 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2014 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2013 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2012 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2011 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2010 | $7.25 | $0 | 0% |
| 2009 | $7.25 | $0.70 | 11% |
| 2008 | $6.55 | $1.40 | 27.18% |
| 2007 | $5.15 | $0 | 0% |
| 2006 | $5.15 | $0 | 0% |
| 2005 | $5.15 | $0 | 0% |
| 2004 | $5.15 | $0 | 0% |
| 2003 | $5.15 | $0 | 0% |
| 2002 | $5.15 | $0 | 0% |
| 2001 | $5.15 | $3.55 | 221.8% |
| 2000 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1999 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1998 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1997 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1996 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1995 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1994 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1993 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1992 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1991 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1990 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1989 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1988 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1987 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1986 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1985 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1984 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
| 1983 | $1.60 | $0 | 0% |
Wyoming Minimum Wage Exemptions
In addition to the regular minimum wage rate, there are a few Wyoming state minimum wage exemptions that typically depend on your age or employment situation.
Below are the various minimum wage exemptions with some situational examples.
Wyoming Student Minimum Wage
The minimum wage for student employees in Wyoming is 85% of the Wyoming minimum wage, making their hourly pay $6.16 per hour in 2024.
This hourly rate is for any hours worked up to 20 hours per week. As a student employee, once you surpass 20 hours per week, you will be eligible to be paid the Wyoming minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour.
Being a student can be financially challenging, leading many students to pick up part-time jobs to make extra money while studying. Despite a student minimum wage rate, many Wyoming employers will not necessarily follow it and pay you equal to or more than the statewide minimum wage.
Many work-study programs are available at universities, which is a route many students go down. Still, coffee shop, cafe, bar, and restaurant jobs are commonly taken by students as they can work them into their class schedule.
Wyoming Under 20 Minimum Wage
If you are under 20 years old in Wyoming, federal law allows your employer to pay you as little as $4.25 per hour for your first 90 days of employment.
Once the 90-day period is over, you will be eligible to be paid the 2024 Wyoming minimum wage of $7.25 per hour or potentially even more.
Fortunately for young workers, this is 90 calendar days and not 90 working days; therefore, it can be completed relatively quickly and within about three months.
Wyoming Tipped Minimum Wage
If you are a tipped employee in Wyoming (someone who receives regular tips as a part of their job) then you are eligible to be paid a minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, with a tip credit of $5.12 per hour, ensuring that you reach the statewide minimum wage regardless if you make enough hourly tips.
Wyoming Overtime Minimum Wage
Once you work over 40 hours a week, you are eligible to be paid an overtime rate of 1.5 times your hourly wage for every hour you work past 40. So, the overtime minimum wage in Wyoming is $10.88 per hour, 1.5 times the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
