Arkansas Minimum Wage 2026: $11.00, Unchanged Since 2021 and Not Indexed
Arkansas’s minimum wage is $11.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2021, for employers with four or more employees. It is not indexed to inflation, and no increase is scheduled for 2027. Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.63 an hour, with tips making up the rest. Full-time students with a state certificate can be paid 85% of the minimum for limited hours. There are no local minimum wages, so $11.00 applies statewide.
Arkansas at a glance
| Current rate | $11.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Effective | January 1, 2021 |
| Tipped cash wage | $2.63 / hour (tips must bring the total to $11.00) |
| Next scheduled change | None scheduled; not indexed to inflation |
| Who is covered | Employers with 4 or more employees |
| Students, learners, apprentices | 85% of the minimum, with conditions |
| Local rates | None found |
How the Arkansas minimum wage is set
Arkansas voters set the current rate in November 2018 with Issue 5, an initiated act that raised the minimum wage in three steps. The ADLL lists them: $9.25 from January 1, 2019, $10.00 from January 1, 2020 and $11.00 from January 1, 2021. The act did not index the wage to inflation, so $11.00 stays in place until voters or the General Assembly change it. The state minimum applies to employers with four or more employees; employers with fewer are excluded from the state act, though the federal $7.25 federal minimum can still apply to them.
Arkansas minimum wage 2027
No increase is scheduled for January 1, 2027. The ADLL's minimum wage page lists no future rate. The Arkansas Secretary of State lists four measures for the November 2026 ballot, all referred by the General Assembly and none about wages, and no citizen initiative certified by the Attorney General. The General Assembly's next regular session starts in January 2027; any change it made would carry its own effective date.
Tipped employees
The ADLL says tipped employees must be paid at least $2.63 an hour, and the tips they earn must be enough to bring them up to the $11.00 minimum. If tips fall short, the employer pays the difference. That means tips can count for up to $8.37 an hour ($11.00 minus $2.63). The $2.63 cash wage is above the federal tipped cash wage of $2.13.
Students, learners and apprentices
Under the ADLL's minimum wage rules, an employer may pay a full-time student not less than 85% of the minimum wage with a valid certificate from the ADLL, for no more than 20 hours a week while school is in session and 40 hours a week when it is not. Learners, student-learners and apprentices may also be paid not less than 85% of the minimum under the rules' conditions. Arkansas has no separate youth or training wage.
Local rates
We found no Arkansas city or county with its own minimum wage, so $11.00 applies statewide, from Little Rock to Northwest Arkansas.
What this means for hiring
$11.00 is a floor, and after five years without a change it sits below what many Arkansas employers pay for frontline roles. The rate to put in a job ad is the one you actually pay, in the first line, with the shift and the town. To see what an Arkansas hire costs at that wage once payroll taxes and benefits are added, use our employee cost calculator. For overtime, final pay, pay frequency and new-hire rules, see Arkansas labor laws for employers.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Check the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing for the current rate before you set pay.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Arkansas in 2026?
$11.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2021, for employers with four or more employees (ADLL). Tipped employees must be paid at least $2.63 an hour, with tips bringing them to $11.00. Full-time students with an ADLL certificate can be paid 85% of the minimum for limited hours.
Is Arkansas raising its minimum wage?
Not on any schedule. The 2018 ballot measure that set $11.00 had no inflation index and no step after 2021, the ADLL lists no future rate, and no wage measure is certified for the November 2026 ballot. A change would need new legislation or a new ballot measure; the General Assembly's next regular session begins in January 2027.
What will the Arkansas minimum wage be in 2027?
Unless the law changes, it will still be $11.00 an hour on January 1, 2027. Nothing enacted or announced as of September 24, 2026 raises it, and Arkansas does not adjust its rate for inflation. Check the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing early in 2027 in case the General Assembly acts.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Arkansas?
The cash wage for tipped employees is at least $2.63 an hour, and tips must bring the employee up to the $11.00 minimum wage. If they do not, the employer must pay the difference. Arkansas's $2.63 is higher than the federal tipped cash wage of $2.13, so Arkansas employers use the state figure.
Does the Arkansas minimum wage apply to small businesses?
The state minimum wage act applies to employers with four or more employees. An employer with fewer is outside the state act, but the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and its $7.25 minimum can still apply, for example where employees are engaged in interstate commerce. Check coverage before paying less than $11.00.
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