MN · state labor law, 2026
Minnesota labor laws: minimum wage, overtime, leave, final pay and breaks
A state overtime threshold of 48 hours that federal law usually overrides, cities paying far above the state rate, and a year of new leave and break rules.
Minnesota and federal rules checked on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- Minimum wage now
- $11.41/h
- statewide
- From January 1, 2027
- $11.87/h
- announced rate
- Tipped cash wage
- full minimum
- no tip credit
- Overtime
- 40 h/week
- federal rule; state law 48 h
- Paid sick leave
- 1 h per 30 h
- cap 48 h a year
- Paid family leave
- 20 weeks
- Minnesota Paid Leave
Minnesota's own overtime law starts time and a half only after 48 hours a week, but most employers are also covered by the federal rule, which owes overtime after 40 hours, and the stricter rule wins. The state minimum wage is $11.41 an hour in 2026 for every employer size and rises to $11.87 on January 1, 2027. Minneapolis and the larger Saint Paul employers pay $16.37. There is no tip credit, so servers receive the full wage before tips. Earned Sick and Safe Time accrues at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, at least 48 hours a year. Minnesota Paid Leave began paying on January 1, 2026, for up to 20 weeks a year combined. Since January 2026 workers also get a 15-minute rest break every 4 hours and a 30-minute meal break on shifts of 6 hours or more.
Gross pay for this week in Minnesota
$456
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week (federal rule)
| Minimum wage in Minnesota now | $11.41 an hour |
| Your rate against it | At or above the minimum |
| Overtime: none this week | $0 |
| Paid sick leave earned in a year | 48 hours (cap reached) |
| Breaks owed in a 8-hour shift | 30 min meal, 2 x 15 min paid rest |
| Final paycheck if fired | within 24 hours of the employee's demand |
| Unused vacation at the end | Paid out if the employer policy or contract says so |
| Paid family leave | Minnesota Paid Leave, up to 20 weeks |
40 hours a week at $11.41. State rule applied. Minimum wage, overtime and leave rules have exceptions by employer size and industry. How this is calculated.
Why the 48-hour rule rarely decides your overtime
Minnesota is one of the few states whose overtime statute sets a threshold above the federal one. Read alone, it would let an employer pay straight time up to 48 hours. In practice the Fair Labor Standards Act reaches most businesses, through annual sales or work tied to interstate commerce, and where both laws apply the employee gets the better result. A warehouse picker paid $20 an hour for five 10-hour days shows the gap: the state rule counts 10 overtime hours and a week of $1,100, while the federal rule counts 10 and a week of $1,100. The state threshold matters mainly at small local businesses outside federal coverage. Whether yours is one of them is a factual question for the Department of Labor and Industry, which decides wage claims.
Rest and meal breaks rewritten for 2026
Until the end of 2025 the law promised only "adequate time" for the restroom and a meal break on shifts of 8 hours. Since January 1, 2026, every worker is owed at least 15 minutes, or longer if the nearest restroom is far, within each four consecutive hours, and that rest time is paid. Anyone working six or more consecutive hours gets at least 30 minutes for a meal. A nurse aide on a 12-hour shift in Duluth is therefore owed three paid rest breaks and a meal period.
Breaks owed for your shift
Meal break
30 minutes
| Paid rest breaks | 2 x 15 minutes |
| Meal rule | 30 min after 6 h |
| Rest rule | 15 min per 4 h |
Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks given must be paid.
Twin Cities wages and the full wage for tipped staff
The gap between the state floor and the two big cities is wide. Minneapolis pays $16.37 to every worker regardless of employer size or age, rising to $17.02 in January 2027, which adds $10,317 a year over the state rate for full-time work. Saint Paul uses tiers: employers with 101 or more workers and, since July 1, 2026, those with 6 to 100 pay $16.37, while micro businesses with 5 or fewer pay $14.25. Minnesota allows no tip credit anywhere, so a bartender in Rochester starts from $11.41 before tips and one in Minneapolis from $16.37. Employers may pay workers under 20 a training wage of $9.31 for their first 90 days, $9.68 in 2027.
Do your tips cover the minimum wage?
Minnesota: no tip credit
$11.41/h
| Cash wage before tips | $11.41 |
| Tips | on top of the full minimum |
| Hourly with tips | $15.41 |
Leave and the end of a job
Earned Sick and Safe Time covers employees expected to work at least 80 hours a year in the state. A full-time worker accrues 48 hours over a year, and the employer may stop accrual at true, with a carryover balance of at least 80 hours; revised ESST rules took effect on July 6, 2026. Minnesota Paid Leave, run by DEED, pays up to 12 weeks for your own health and 12 for family reasons, capped at 20 weeks combined, replacing 90% of wages up to half the state average weekly wage and smaller shares above. When you are fired, final wages are due within 24 hours of your demand. When you quit, pay arrives by the first payday more than five days later, and no later than 20 days after leaving. Vacation payout follows company policy.
Minnesota employment rules at a glance, 2026
Minimum wage schedule
| From | Who it covers | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Statewide, all employers | $11.41 | Single rate for all employer sizes, indexed to inflation each January 1 (capped at 5%) |
| January 1, 2027 | Statewide, all employers | $11.87 | Announced by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry; 90-day training wage (under 20) rises to $9.68 |
Workers covered by both laws get the higher rate. 90-day training wage for workers under 20: $9.31 in 2026. Read the Minnesota rule.
Cities and counties with their own minimum wage
| Place | Rate | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | $16.37 | January 1, 2026 | ordinance page |
| Saint Paul (macro 10,001+ and large 101-10,000 employees) | $16.37 | January 1, 2026 | ordinance page |
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week under federal law (the state's own threshold, 48 hours, matters only for jobs the FLSA does not cover). The salary test for exempt employees is the federal $684 a week. State law: overtime after 48 hours a week; the federal FLSA (after 40 hours) applies to most employers covered by it. source
Sick leave and family leave
Paid sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (At least 48 hours accrued per year; carryover required with a total balance cap of at least 80 hours (employers may allow more).), all employers (employees expected to work 80+ hours a year in Minnesota). Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST). New ESST rules effective July 6, 2026. source
Minnesota Paid Leave: up to 20 weeks, benefits payable since January 1, 2026, 90% of wages up to 50% of the state average weekly wage, plus 66% of wages between 50% and 100% of it, plus 55% above; max weekly benefit = state average weekly wage. Up to 12 weeks medical leave and 12 weeks family leave, 20 weeks combined per benefit year. Pregnancy and Parental Leave: up to 12 weeks unpaid, any employer size, no service requirement source
Final paycheck and unused vacation
Fired or laid off: within 24 hours of the employee's demand. Quitting: next payday more than five days after quitting, and within 20 days of separation at the latest. Vacation: Company policy determines whether vacation, sick leave and severance are owed; benefits due must be paid within 30 days.. source vacation rule
Meal and rest breaks
Meal: At least 30 minutes when working six or more consecutive hours (since January 1, 2026). Rest: At least 15 minutes (or longer if needed to reach the nearest restroom) within each four consecutive hours. source
Unions and dismissal
Minnesota has no right-to-work law, so a union contract may require a fee from the workers it covers. Employment is at will: either side may end it at any time, except for an illegal reason such as discrimination or retaliation, or against a contract.
Also worth knowing in Minnesota
- Since January 1, 2026, breaks are stronger: a paid 15-minute rest break every 4 hours and a 30-minute meal break for shifts of 6+ hours (previously 'adequate time' and meals only at 8 hours). source
- Minnesota Paid Leave started paying benefits on January 1, 2026 (up to 20 weeks a year combined), run by DEED. source
- No tip credit: tipped workers must receive the full state (or city) minimum wage before tips. source