Nevada Minimum Wage 2026: $12.00 for Everyone, No Tip Credit
Nevada's minimum wage is $12.00 an hour for all employees in 2026, set by the state constitution since July 1, 2024 and confirmed in the Labor Commissioner's bulletin effective July 1, 2026. There is no tip credit, so tipped employees get the full $12.00 plus tips, and the old lower rate for employers offering health insurance no longer exists. No increase is scheduled. The rate also sets daily overtime: employees paid under $18.00 an hour earn overtime after 8 hours in a day.
Nevada at a glance
| Current rate | $12.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Effective | July 1, 2024 (Nev. Const. art. 15, sec. 16); confirmed in the 2026 bulletin effective July 1, 2026 |
| Tipped cash wage | $12.00 / hour; no tip credit |
| Health benefits tier | Eliminated July 1, 2024; one rate for all employers |
| Next scheduled change | None; no inflation index. Rises only if the federal minimum exceeds $12 or the Legislature acts |
| Local rates | None; one statewide rate |
| Daily overtime threshold | Employees paid under $18.00 / hour (1.5 × minimum wage) |
How the Nevada minimum wage is set
Nevada's rate is in the state constitution. Article 15, Section 16 of the Nevada Constitution, as amended by voters in November 2022 (Ballot Question 2), says that "beginning July 1, 2024, each employer shall pay a wage to each employee of not less than twelve dollars ($12) per hour worked." The same amendment ended Nevada's two-tier system, under which employers that offered qualifying health benefits could pay $1 an hour less. The Labor Commissioner's 2026 annual bulletin, posted June 29, 2026, lists $12.00 effective July 1, 2026 and says the rate applies "to all employees in the State of Nevada unless otherwise exempted" and "regardless of offered employer health benefits."
You may still see the old two-tier schedule in NRS 608.250, which lists $11.00 and $12.00 rates from July 1, 2024. The constitutional amendment and the Labor Commissioner's bulletin control: $12.00 for everyone.
There is no inflation index. The constitution raises the Nevada rate only if the federal minimum wage goes above $12, in which case employers must pay the federal rate, and it lets the Legislature set a higher minimum by statute.
Tipped employees in Nevada
Nevada doesn't allow a tip credit. The constitution says tips "shall not be credited as being any part of or offset against" the minimum wage, and NRS 608.160 makes it unlawful to apply tips as a credit toward the statutory minimum or to take any part of employees' tips. Servers, bartenders and other tipped staff get at least $12.00 an hour in wages, plus their tips. Employees can agree among themselves to pool and divide tips. The U.S. Department of Labor's tipped wage table lists Nevada's minimum cash wage as $12.00.
Daily overtime is tied to the minimum wage
Nevada's minimum wage also sets its daily overtime line. Under NRS 608.018, an employee paid less than 1.5 times the minimum wage earns time and a half after 8 hours in a workday, as well as after 40 hours in a week. At $12.00, the Labor Commissioner's daily overtime bulletin puts that threshold at $18.00 an hour. Employees paid $18.00 or more get overtime only after 40 hours. A mutually agreed schedule of four 10-hour days is exempt from the daily rule. If the minimum wage ever rises, the daily overtime threshold rises with it.
Local minimum wages
There are none. The rate is set statewide by the constitution and applies in Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno and everywhere else in the state.
Who is not covered
The constitution's definition of "employee" leaves out, in its words, an employee "who is under eighteen (18) years of age, employed by a nonprofit organization for after school or summer employment or as a trainee for a period not longer than ninety (90) days." If you plan to rely on this exclusion for young workers or trainees, check with the Labor Commissioner first; the federal $7.25 minimum wage and child labor rules still apply to FLSA-covered employers. The constitution also allows its provisions to be waived in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement, but only if the waiver is explicit.
Is Nevada raising its minimum wage?
Not on any schedule. The rate stays at $12.00 unless Congress raises the federal minimum above $12 or the Legislature enacts a higher rate. The Labor Commissioner publishes an annual minimum wage bulletin ahead of each July 1 on its minimum wage bulletins page; the 2026 bulletin kept the rate at $12.00. The Legislature meets in regular session in odd-numbered years, so 2027 is the next session where a statutory increase could pass.
What this means for hiring in Nevada
Because Nevada has no tip credit, a restaurant or casino job ad should never quote a cash wage below $12.00, and the base rate plus typical tips is what candidates compare. The $18.00 daily overtime line matters just as much for shift planning: a 10-hour shift at $16 an hour includes 2 hours at time and a half unless it's part of an agreed 4-by-10 schedule. Put the hourly rate and the shift in the first line of the ad. To see what a hire costs at the wage you pay, including taxes and overtime, use our employee cost calculator. For breaks, final pay, paid leave and hiring rules, see our Nevada labor laws guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Nevada in 2026?
$12.00 an hour for all employees. The Nevada Constitution set the rate at $12 from July 1, 2024, and the Labor Commissioner's 2026 annual bulletin confirmed $12.00 effective July 1, 2026. It applies regardless of whether the employer offers health benefits; the old two-tier system with a lower rate for employers offering insurance ended on July 1, 2024.
Is Nevada raising its minimum wage?
No increase is scheduled. The constitution has no inflation adjustment, so the rate stays at $12.00 unless the federal minimum wage rises above $12 or the Legislature passes a higher rate. The Labor Commissioner publishes an annual bulletin before each July 1, and the 2026 bulletin kept the rate at $12.00. The next regular legislative session is in 2027.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Nevada?
$12.00 an hour, the same as the regular minimum wage. Nevada doesn't allow employers to count tips toward the minimum wage: the constitution prohibits it, and NRS 608.160 makes it unlawful to take employees' tips or apply them as a credit. Tipped employees keep their tips on top of at least $12.00 an hour, and can agree among themselves to pool them.
Does Nevada still have a lower minimum wage for employers that offer health insurance?
No. Ballot Question 2, approved by voters in November 2022, eliminated the two-tier minimum wage as of July 1, 2024. Before then, employers offering qualifying health benefits could pay $1 less per hour. The Labor Commissioner's bulletin states that the $12.00 rate applies to all employees regardless of offered employer health benefits.
What is the overtime threshold in Nevada?
Employees paid less than $18.00 an hour, which is 1.5 times the $12.00 minimum wage, earn time and a half after 8 hours in a workday and after 40 hours in a week under NRS 608.018. Employees paid $18.00 or more earn overtime only after 40 hours in a week. A mutually agreed schedule of four 10-hour days is exempt from the daily rule.
Hiring hourly workers in Nevada?
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