Missouri MINIMUM WAGES

Missouri workers will see higher pay in 2025, as the state’s minimum wage has increased to $13.75 per hour for most employees. Tipped workers now earn $6.88 per hour, with employers required by law to cover any shortfall if tips don’t push earnings up to the standard rate. This safeguard ensures tipped employees take home no less than the full minimum wage.

The law also mandates time-and-a-half pay for any work beyond 40 hours per week. Missouri isn’t stopping here—the minimum wage will climb to $15.00 in 2026, after which yearly increases will follow the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). Tipped wages will rise in tandem, reaching $7.50 in 2026 and adjusting annually to reflect inflation.

18th August, 2025
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Missouri State Minimum Wage for 2026

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 Illinois 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.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    No. Missouri does not have any separate minimum wage laws for minors. However, full-time students employed in part-time jobs are entitled to receive at least 85% of the minimum wage.

    You can file a complaint regarding violations of minimum wage laws with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, either online at https://labor.mo.gov/DLS/MinimumWage or by directly contacting their office.

    No. As of 2025, all cities in Missouri follow the state minimum wage laws.

    No. As of 2025, local governments in Missouri cannot set their own minimum wage rates as the state legislature has seized local control in this matter.

    As of 2025, Missouri’s minimum wage is $13.75 per hour, higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

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