The minimum wage in Connecticut is $16.94 an hour as of October 2026, and the Connecticut Department of Labor says it rises to $17.48 an hour on January 1, 2027. Restaurant and hotel staff who earn tips can be paid a lower cash wage of $6.38 an hour, and bartenders $8.23, as long as tips bring them to the full minimum.
The rates here come from the Connecticut Department of Labor's Wage and Workplace Standards pages and the U.S. Department of Labor's state, tipped and payday tables, all read in October 2026. The Department of Labor's tipped table notes Connecticut's minimum wage is adjusted every year based on a set formula, which is why the 2027 figure is already published.
Connecticut's rate, year by year
| Effective date | Connecticut minimum wage |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2022 | $14.00 |
| June 1, 2023 | $15.00 |
| January 1, 2024 | $15.69 |
| January 1, 2025 | $16.35 |
| January 1, 2026 | $16.94 |
| January 1, 2027 | $17.48 |
That's a rise of almost three and a half dollars an hour between July 2022 and January 2027. If you're budgeting staff costs for 2027, use $17.48 from the first payroll of January.
Tipped wages in Connecticut
Connecticut sets two tipped cash wages, and they're both well above the federal $2.13. The Department of Labor's tipped table puts them as follows.
| Tipped role | Maximum tip credit | Minimum cash wage (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel and restaurant staff | $10.56 | $6.38 |
| Bartenders who customarily receive tips | $8.71 | $8.23 |
Connecticut's regulation on gratuities says tips can count toward the minimum fair wage only when a list of conditions is met, starting with the employee working in a job where tips are customary. If your servers share tips, read my tip pooling guide before you set the pool up.
Weekly paydays are the default
Here's the rule out-of-state owners miss. Connecticut General Statute 31-71b, quoted on the Department of Labor's wage and hour page, says each employer shall pay weekly all moneys due each employee on a regular payday designated in advance. The Labor Commissioner can approve less frequent paydays on application, and the U.S. Department of Labor's payday table says longer intervals, up to monthly, need that approval.
- Pay weekly unless the Labor Commissioner has approved a longer interval.
- Tell each employee in writing at hiring their rate of pay, hours and payday schedule.
- Pay someone who quits or is laid off by the next regular payday.
- Pay someone who's discharged all wages by the next business day.
- Keep time and wage records at the workplace for three years.
That next-business-day rule for a dismissal is tight. My final paycheck guide compares it with other states.
Overtime in Connecticut
The Connecticut Department of Labor says employers must pay one and a half times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek, for actual hours worked over 40. There's no requirement to pay overtime on a daily basis, at weekends or on holidays unless agreed. Restaurants and hotel restaurants are the exception the U.S. Department of Labor flags: work on the seventh consecutive day must be paid at time and a half of the minimum rate. Executive, administrative and professional employees, as defined by the Labor Commissioner, are exempt.
Connecticut and the rest of the Northeast
| State | Basic minimum wage (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $16.94 |
| New York | $16.00 (most of the state) |
| Rhode Island | $16.00 |
| New Jersey | $15.92 |
| Massachusetts | $15.00 |
Connecticut pays more than every neighbour, including most of New York. My Massachusetts minimum wage guide covers the state to the north, which hasn't moved since 2023.
Paperwork Connecticut expects
Connecticut's wage and hour page sets out several record and notice rules that apply on top of the rate. Each employer must keep a true and accurate time and wage record for each employee at the workplace for three years, including the hourly, daily or weekly basic wage and the additions and deductions each pay period. Working certificates for 16 to 18-year-old employees belong in the file too.
Deductions are tightly limited. Under General Statutes 31-70 and 31-71e, an employer may not withhold or divert any part of an employee's wages unless state or federal law requires or allows it, the employee has given written authorisation on a form approved by the Labor Commissioner, or the deduction is for a medical premium or retirement plan.
For salaried staff, Connecticut uses a salary basis test: a set amount paid each pay period, weekly or less often, that isn't reduced because of changes in the quality or quantity of the work. Getting that test wrong is how exempt staff end up owed overtime.
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Connecticut payroll mistakes to avoid
- Budgeting 2027 at the 2026 rate, when $17.48 starts on January 1.
- Paying servers the federal $2.13 instead of Connecticut's $6.38 cash wage.
- Switching to a fortnightly or monthly payroll without the Labor Commissioner's approval.
- Making a deduction for breakages or uniforms without the approved written authorisation.
My verdict
Connecticut is one of the most expensive states to pay hourly staff, and it'll get more so on January 1. Plan around $16.94 now and $17.48 from 2027, pay weekly unless you've been approved otherwise, and settle a dismissed worker's wages the next business day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Connecticut?
It's $16.94 an hour as of October 2026, effective since January 1, 2026.
What will Connecticut's minimum wage be in 2027?
The Connecticut Department of Labor lists $17.48 an hour from January 1, 2027.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Connecticut?
Hotel and restaurant staff must get at least $6.38 an hour in cash and bartenders $8.23, with tips bringing them to the full minimum.
How often must Connecticut employers pay?
Weekly, unless the Labor Commissioner approves a less frequent schedule.
Does Connecticut have daily overtime?
No. Overtime is after 40 hours in a workweek, though restaurants must pay a premium for the seventh consecutive day.
When is a final paycheck due in Connecticut?
By the next business day after a discharge, and by the next regular payday if the employee quits or is laid off.
How long must Connecticut employers keep wage records?
Three years, kept at the place of employment.
Can a Connecticut employer make deductions from pay?
Only when law requires or allows it, with written authorisation on a form the Labor Commissioner approved, or for a medical premium or retirement plan.
