OH · state labor law, 2026
Ohio labor laws: minimum wage, overtime, leave, final pay and breaks
The minimum wage is in the state constitution, it rises with prices every January, and whether it applies to you depends on your employer's sales.
Ohio and federal rules checked on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- Minimum wage now
- $11.00/h
- Employers with annual gross receipts above $405,000
- From January 1, 2027
- $11.40/h
- announced rate
- Tipped cash wage
- $5.50/h
- tips must make up the rest
- Overtime
- 40 h/week
- state law
- Paid sick leave
- no state law
- employer policy
- Paid family leave
- no program
- FMLA is unpaid
Ohio's minimum wage is $11.00 an hour in 2026 for non-tipped employees of businesses with annual gross receipts above $405,000, and it rises to $11.40 on January 1, 2027, when that coverage threshold also moves to $419,000. Smaller businesses and 14- and 15-year-old workers are tied to the federal $7.25. Tipped employees of covered businesses receive at least $5.50 in cash, $5.70 from January, with tips making up the rest. The figures come from a 2006 constitutional amendment that indexes the rate each year to inflation. Full-time work at the higher rate pays $22,880 a year, against $15,080 at the federal floor. Overtime follows the federal pattern, time and a half after 40 hours a week with the same exemptions. Ohio has no statewide paid sick leave or paid family leave law, vacation payout depends on the employer's policy, and only workers under 18 have a break requirement.
Gross pay for this week in Ohio
$440
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week
| Minimum wage in Ohio now | $11 an hour |
| Your rate against it | At or above the minimum |
| Overtime: none this week | $0 |
| Paid sick leave earned in a year | No statewide paid sick leave law |
| Breaks owed in a 8-hour shift | None for adults (minors only) |
| Final paycheck if fired | no special final-pay rule: wages are due on the regular semi-monthly schedule (by the 1st of the month for wages earned through the 15th of the prior month, and by the 15th for the rest of the prior month) |
| Unused vacation at the end | Paid out if the employer policy or contract says so |
| Paid family leave | No state program |
40 hours a week at $11. State rule applied. Minimum wage, overtime and leave rules have exceptions by employer size and industry. How this is calculated.
Two rates split by a sales figure
Ohio decides which minimum wage applies by looking at the employer's annual gross receipts. Above $405,000 in 2026, the rate is $11.00; at or below it, the business owes the federal $7.25. The threshold itself is indexed, so it moves to $419,000 on January 1, 2027. Two people doing the same job across the street from each other can therefore earn different legal minimums, one at a regional grocery chain and one at a small family store. Age matters too: 14- and 15-year-olds are on the federal rate at any employer.
The gap is large. A full-time worker earns $7,800 more a year at the state rate than at the federal one. If you are unsure which side your employer falls on, the Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration at the Department of Commerce answers coverage questions.
A wage written into the constitution
Voters approved Article II, Section 34a in November 2006. It requires the rate to be recalculated every January 1 from the CPI-W for the 12 months ending in August, which is why the Department of Commerce announces the next figure each autumn. On September 30, 2026 it announced the 2027 figures: $11.40 for non-tipped employees and $5.70 for tipped employees. The 2027 threshold of $419,000 comes from the same announcement.
For a part-timer working 32 hours a week at a covered business, the 2027 step adds $666 over a year.
What the minimum wage raise is worth to you
Next rate in Ohio
$11.40
| Rate on January 1, 2026 | $11.00 |
| Rate in force now | $11.00 |
| Extra pay a year since January | $0 |
| Extra pay a year at the next rate | $624 |
Tipped pay and overtime
Restaurants and bars at covered businesses may pay $5.50 an hour in cash, provided tips lift the total to $11.00 for every hour. A tipped worker is someone who receives more than $30 a month in tips. Overtime law tracks sections 7 and 13 of the FLSA, so the same occupations are exempt and the same 40-hour week applies: hours beyond 40 are paid at one and a half times the regular rate. The salary test for exempt staff is the federal $684 a week.
Do your tips cover the minimum wage?
Employer top-up owed per hour
$1.50
| Cash wage | $5.50 |
| Cash wage + tips | $9.50 |
| Minimum wage in Ohio | $11.00 |
| Top-up over a 30-hour week | $45 |
Leave, breaks and the last paycheck
No Ohio statute requires private employers to provide paid sick days or paid family leave, so time off follows the employer's policy and, for eligible workers, the unpaid federal FMLA of up to 12 weeks. Vacation pay is defined as a fringe benefit, owed under the employer's agreement or written policy rather than by statute. Adults have no state meal or rest break rule; minors must receive at least 30 minutes after more than five consecutive hours. Ohio's general pay-timing statute sets semi-monthly paydays, and the rules section below quotes it; for a final check, ask the Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration how it applies to your situation, or compare final paycheck rules across states.
Ohio employment rules at a glance, 2026
Minimum wage schedule
| From | Who it covers | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Employers with annual gross receipts above $405,000 | $11.00 | Indexed each January 1 to CPI-W (Ohio Constitution Art. II, Sec. 34a) |
| January 1, 2026 | Employers with annual gross receipts of $405,000 or less, and 14-15-year-old workers | $7.25 | Tied to the federal minimum wage |
| January 1, 2027 | Employers with annual gross receipts above $419,000 | $11.40 | officially announced on 2026-09-30 by the Ohio Department of Commerce (+3.5%) |
| January 1, 2027 | Employers with annual gross receipts of $419,000 or less, and 14-15-year-old workers | $7.25 | announced 2026-09-30; tied to federal minimum |
Workers covered by both laws get the higher rate. 14- and 15-year-old workers: $7.25. Read the Ohio rule.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week. The salary test for exempt employees is the federal $684 a week. Ohio overtime follows FLSA sections 7 and 13 (same exemptions). source
Sick leave and family leave
Ohio has no statewide paid sick leave law for private employers; leave depends on the employer's policy or a city ordinance. No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers.
No state paid family leave insurance: the federal FMLA gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave.
Final paycheck and unused vacation
Fired or laid off: no special final-pay rule: wages are due on the regular semi-monthly schedule (by the 1st of the month for wages earned through the 15th of the prior month, and by the 15th for the rest of the prior month). Quitting: same as fired: regular semi-monthly schedule. Vacation: No statute requires payout; vacation pay is a fringe benefit owed only under the employer's agreement/policy.. source vacation rule
Meal and rest breaks
No meal break is required for adults by state law. No paid rest break is required for adults. Minors (under 18): a rest period of at least 30 minutes after more than 5 consecutive hours. source
Unions and dismissal
Ohio 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 Ohio
- Ohio's minimum wage rises to $11.40 (tipped $5.70) on January 1, 2027, and the gross-receipts threshold for coverage rises from $405,000 to $419,000. source
- Ohio's minimum wage is written into the state constitution (amendment approved by voters in November 2006) and is indexed every January 1 to the CPI-W for the 12 months ending in August. source