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Effective January 1, 2025, Missouri’s minimum wage rate is $13.75 per hour for all employees. The tipped minimum wage rate has increased to $6.88 per hour. Employers must ensure that tipped employees receive total compensation of at least the standard minimum wage rate of $13.75 per hour. If the combined wages and tips do not meet this amount, employers are legally required to make up the difference.
Missouri employers must also pay overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for any hours worked beyond 40 hours in a workweek.
These minimum wage rates apply broadly to most employees in the state, with certain exemptions discussed elsewhere. Employers must comply strictly with both tipped and non-tipped wage requirements to avoid penalties.
Looking ahead, Missouri’s minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2026. After this increase, annual adjustments will be made based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The tipped minimum wage will also rise to $7.50 per hour in 2026, following a similar adjustment pattern.
Minimum Wages in Missouri Cities
Here’s a table defining minimum wage rates across the top 30 cities of Missouri:
| City | Minimum Wage | Tipped Minimum Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| St. Louis | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Springfield | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Columbia | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Independence | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Lee’s Summit | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| O’Fallon | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| St. Joseph | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| St. Charles | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Blue Springs | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Joplin | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Florissant | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Chesterfield | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Jefferson City | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Wentzville | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Cape Girardeau | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Wildwood | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| University City | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Ballwin | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Raytown | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Liberty | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Kirkwood | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Maryland Heights | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Gladstone | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Hazelwood | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Grandview | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Webster Groves | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Arnold | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Rolla | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
| Sedalia | $13.75 per hour | $6.88 per hour |
Threshold For Employees Exempt
Under The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees are classified as either exempt or nonexempt:
- Nonexempt Employees are entitled to receive the state minimum wage and overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a week.
- Exempt Employees, typically salaried workers, do not qualify for overtime or state minimum wage protections.
As of 2025, the salary threshold for exempt employees were set to increase to $844 per week ($43,888 annually) on July 1, 2024, and further to $1,128 per week ($58,656 annually) in January 2025. However, a court ruling blocked these rates, and set the federal salary threshold exemptions at $684 per week ($35,568 annually).
Employers in Missouri must strictly adhere to these federal standards, and make necessary adjustments to their company compliance policies.
Historical Data of Missouri Minimum Wages
Historically, Missouri adhered to federal minimum wage laws until 2006 when the state raised its minimum wage to $6.50 per hour, surpassing the federal rate of $5.15. After the federal minimum wage rose to $7.25 per hour between 2007 and 2009, this became Missouri’s standard as well.
In 2012, a coalition of activists “Give Missourians a Raise,” proposed an increase in minimum wages to help low-income groups support their families and meet basic needs. This argument also aligned with country-wide minimum wage policies and were considered as anti-poverty measures.
However, many people argued that raising the minimum wage rates would discourage employers from hiring low-skilled workers, thereby reducing job opportunities. They also claimed that it often benefited secondary earners of higher-income households than poor families, potentially increasing poverty rates.
This caused minimum wage stagnation until 2016 when the state raised wage rates to $7.65 an hour and reached $7.85 in 2018. Following the approval of Proposition B, the state of Missouri has incrementally increased minimum wage rates to ensure fair pay.
The table below shows a gradual increase in minimum wages in Missouri between 1990 to 2024.
| Time Period | Year | Minimum Wage (in $) |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 to 1998 | 1988 | – |
| 1991 | 3.80 | |
| 1992 | 4.25 | |
| 1994 | 4.25 | |
| 1996 | 4.25 | |
| 1997 | 4.75 | |
| 1998 | 5.15 | |
| 2000 to 2006 | 2000 | 5.15 |
| 2001 | 5.15 | |
| 2002 | 5.15 | |
| 2003 | 5.15 | |
| 2004 | 5.15 | |
| 2005 | 5.15 | |
| 2006 | 5.15 | |
| 2007 to 2013 | 2007 | 6.50 |
| 2008 | 6.65 | |
| 2009 | 7.05 | |
| 2010 | 7.25 | |
| 2011 | 7.25 | |
| 2012 | 7.25 | |
| 2013 | 7.35 | |
| 2014 to 2019 | 2014 | 7.50 |
| 2015 | 7.65 | |
| 2016 | 7.65 | |
| 2017 | 7.70 | |
| 2018 | 7.85 | |
| 2019 | 9.45 | |
| 2020 to 2024 | 2020 | 9.45 |
| 2021 | 10.30 | |
| 2022 | 11.15 | |
| 2023 | 12.00 | |
| 2024 | 13.75 |
Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/history
Exemptions in Minimum Wages of Missouri
All employers in the state of Missouri are mandated to pay the state minimum wages to all their employees, except for:
- Individuals employed by state or federal government entities.
- Tipped employees, who are subject to separate tipped minimum wage.
- Employees working in retail or service business with an annual gross income of less than $500,000.
- Full-time students employed in part-time jobs. (They’re entitled to receive at least 85% of the minimum wage).
- Agricultural and farm workers engaged in farming operations.
These exemptions are outlined under Missouri state law and ensure specific groups are subject to different wage standards as of 2025.
