- Idaho's three pay floors
- Why Idaho's rate is locked to the federal one
- The $3.35 tipped wage, and the higher federal floor
- The youth opportunity wage
- Who Idaho's minimum wage law doesn't cover
- Overtime and paydays in Idaho
- Records to keep in Idaho
- A worked tipped example
- Idaho and its neighbours
- Steps for paying staff correctly in Idaho
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
The minimum wage in Idaho is $7.25 an hour as of October 2026, and state law ties it to the federal rate. Tipped staff can be paid a cash wage of $3.35 an hour as long as tips bring them to $7.25, and workers under 20 can be paid $4.25 for their first 90 days.
Idaho's rules sit in Title 44, Chapter 15 of the Idaho Code, enforced by the Idaho Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Section. This page uses sections 44-1502 and 44-1504 and the department's wage and hour page, plus the U.S. Department of Labor's state tables, all read in October 2026.
Idaho's three pay floors
| Worker | Minimum (as of October 2026) | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Most employees | $7.25 an hour | Tracks the federal minimum wage |
| Tipped employees | $3.35 an hour cash | Tips must bring total pay to at least $7.25 |
| Under 20, first 90 days | $4.25 an hour | Only during the first 90 consecutive calendar days |
Why Idaho's rate is locked to the federal one
Section 44-1502 says the minimum wage shall conform to, and track with, the federal minimum wage. So Idaho won't rise on its own. If Congress raises the federal rate, Idaho's rate follows. Until then, $7.25 is the floor, the same figure explained in my federal minimum wage guide.
The $3.35 tipped wage, and the higher federal floor
Here's the part people miss. Idaho lets employers pay tipped staff a direct cash wage of $3.35 an hour. That's higher than the federal tipped cash wage of $2.13, so in Idaho the state figure wins for any employer. If a worker's tips plus $3.35 don't reach $7.25 for the hours worked, the employer must make up the difference.
The statute also settles disputes. If an employer and employee disagree about how much was received in tips, it's the employer's burden to show the amount. And any share of tips an employee passes to colleagues through a tip pool doesn't count as tips received by that employee for this rule. That's a good reason to keep tip records tidy every pay period.
The youth opportunity wage
Section 44-1502 allows a lower rate of $4.25 an hour for an employee who hasn't reached 20, but only during the first 90 consecutive calendar days after they're first hired. After day 90, the full $7.25 applies. The statute also bans displacing current staff, including cutting their hours, wages or benefits, to hire people on the youth rate.
Who Idaho's minimum wage law doesn't cover
Section 44-1504 lists the main exceptions. The act doesn't apply to:
- Bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees.
- Anyone in domestic service.
- Outside salespeople.
- Seasonal employees of a nonprofit camping program.
- Children under 16 working part time or at odd jobs for no more than four hours a day with one employer.
- Employees under 18 employed by an immediate family member or that family member's business.
- Certain agricultural workers, as the section sets out.
Being outside the Idaho act doesn't always mean outside the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The federal reference guide explains that individual coverage can apply when an employee's own work touches interstate commerce, so check both before paying below $7.25.
Overtime and paydays in Idaho
Idaho's minimum wage law doesn't add a state overtime rule, and the federal state table lists no state premium pay requirement for Idaho. Overtime for covered workers comes from the federal rule of time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, which my overtime laws guide walks through. The Wage and Hour Section also enforces Idaho's wage payment law, so set a regular payday in writing and stick to it.
Records to keep in Idaho
Keep a record of every employee's hours, cash pay and tips received each week, and the start date of any worker on the youth rate. Those three records answer almost every wage question the Wage and Hour Section might raise.
A worked tipped example
Say a server works 30 hours in a week at the $3.35 cash wage and keeps tips that, added to the cash pay, come to more than $7.25 for each of those 30 hours. Nothing more is owed. If a quiet week means the combined figure falls short of $7.25 an hour, the employer adds the difference in that week's pay. The check is weekly, so a good Saturday doesn't cover a poor Tuesday in a different week.
Idaho sets a fixed tipped cash wage, while North Dakota works it as a percentage credit, which North Dakota's minimum wage page walks through.
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Idaho and its neighbours
| State | Basic minimum wage (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Idaho | $7.25 |
| Washington | $17.13 |
| Oregon | $15.55 standard rate |
| Nevada | $12.00 |
| Montana | $10.85 |
| Utah | $7.25 |
| Wyoming | $5.15, federal $7.25 for covered employers |
The gap with Washington matters for businesses near the border. A worker in Moscow, Idaho is on $7.25 while one in Pullman, Washington, a few miles away, is on $17.13. If you hire across the line, the Washington minimum wage page covers that side.
Steps for paying staff correctly in Idaho
- Confirm whether each role is covered by the Idaho act, the federal act or both.
- Set the base rate at $7.25 or more for every covered employee.
- For tipped staff, pay at least $3.35 cash and check each week that tips close the gap to $7.25.
- For under-20 hires on $4.25, diary the 90th day and move them to $7.25 the day after.
- Keep records of hours, pay and tips received, since the employer carries the burden in a tip dispute.
My verdict
Idaho is one of the simpler states: $7.25 an hour as of October 2026, locked to the federal rate. The two details worth knowing are the $3.35 tipped cash wage, which is higher than the federal $2.13, and the 90-day youth rate that ends on a fixed date. Get those right and Idaho payroll is quick.
The youth opportunity wage isn't the only rule for young workers, because many states also want a work permit first, and our guide to work permits for minors shows which states and who issues it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Idaho?
It's $7.25 an hour as of October 2026. Idaho Code 44-1502 ties it to the federal minimum wage.
What is Idaho's tipped minimum wage?
Employers must pay tipped staff a direct cash wage of at least $3.35 an hour, and tips plus that wage must reach $7.25 an hour.
Can Idaho employers pay a training or youth wage?
Yes. Workers under 20 can be paid $4.25 an hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days, but not by displacing existing staff.
Will Idaho's minimum wage go up in 2027?
Only if the federal minimum wage rises, because Idaho's rate tracks the federal one.
Does Idaho have its own overtime law?
Idaho's minimum wage law adds no state overtime rule. Covered employees get federal overtime of time and a half after 40 hours a week.
Who is exempt from Idaho's minimum wage?
Exceptions include executive, administrative and professional staff, domestic service, outside sales, some young part-time or family workers and certain agricultural workers.
