North Dakota Minimum Wage 2026
The minimum wage in North Dakota is $7.25 per hour in 2026, effective July 24, 2009. Tipped employees can be paid a cash wage of $4.86 per hour, as long as tips bring them to the full minimum.
What is the minimum wage in North Dakota in 2026?
The North Dakota minimum wage is $7.25 per hour in 2026, the same as the federal rate that took effect on July 24, 2009. The state has never set a higher figure of its own, so the floor has stayed flat for over a decade and a half.
In practice, oil-patch labor demand rewrote North Dakota's wage math years ago. The Bakken boom pushed pay for drivers, food service, and retail far above the minimum across the western half of the state, and even after production leveled off, real wages in Fargo, Bismarck, and the energy counties remain well clear of $7.25.
Tipped minimum wage in North Dakota
North Dakota stands out among federal-rate states on tipped pay: the tip credit is capped at 33 percent of the minimum wage, so the tipped cash wage is $4.86 per hour, well above the federal $2.13. Employers must pay at least $4.86 in direct wages before counting tips.
Tips plus the cash wage still must reach $7.25 per hour every workweek, and the state also requires that tipped employees actually and customarily receive tips. Because the cash wage floor is higher here, payroll systems configured for the federal $2.13 default will underpay North Dakota staff.
North Dakota minimum wage history: 2020 to 2026
| Year | Minimum wage | Tipped wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
| 2021 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
| 2022 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
| 2023 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
| 2024 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
| 2025 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
| 2026 | $7.25 | $4.86 |
Upcoming minimum wage increases in North Dakota
There are no scheduled increases. Raising North Dakota's minimum wage would take action by the state Legislative Assembly in Bismarck or a federal increase passed by Congress, and neither is currently on the calendar.
Occasional bills and ballot-measure discussions surface in Bismarck but have not gained traction. The sharper pressure on employers comes from neighbors: Minnesota's minimum is $11.41 and Montana's is $10.85, which shapes pay expectations in border markets like Fargo and Grand Forks.
Minimum wage by city in North Dakota
No North Dakota city sets its own minimum wage, so the $7.25 federal floor applies uniformly from Fargo to Minot. Local variation comes entirely from market conditions rather than ordinances.
Those market conditions vary a lot. Fargo competes directly with Moorhead, Minnesota, where the state minimum is $11.41, while Minot and the western oil counties still carry the elevated pay scales left by the energy boom.
Federal rate; competes with Minnesota's $11.41 across the Red River
Federal rate; state capital with a tight service-sector labor pool
Federal rate; border-market pay pressure from Minnesota employers
Federal rate; energy-era wage levels persist for hourly roles
What North Dakota employers need to know
Higher tipped cash wage
Pay tipped employees at least $4.86 per hour in direct wages. North Dakota caps the tip credit at 33 percent of the minimum, so the federal $2.13 cash wage is not lawful here.
Overtime
Hours beyond 40 in a workweek are paid at 1.5x the regular rate. North Dakota follows the federal overtime framework with limited state-specific exemptions.
Coverage
North Dakota's minimum wage rules cover most employees, with exceptions for certain agricultural workers, some student and apprentice arrangements, and outside salespeople.
Posting and records
Post the North Dakota minimum wage and work conditions summary issued by the Department of Labor and Human Rights, and keep wage records for each employee.
How other states compare
See how North Dakota's $7.25 rate stacks up against other state minimum wages in 2026, or browse the full minimum wage index for all 50 states.
Last verified:
Sources: the US Department of Labor's state minimum wage table and official announcements from the North Dakota labor department. Minimum wage laws change frequently; confirm current rates with those sources or legal counsel before setting pay.
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