Rhode Island Minimum Wage 2026: $16.00 Now, $17.00 on January 1, 2027
Rhode Island’s minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, effective January 1, 2026, and it rises to $17.00 on January 1, 2027; both steps are already in the statute. The tipped cash wage in state law is $3.89 an hour, with tips making up the rest. Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds working 24 hours a week or less can be paid 75% of the minimum. Rhode Island does not index its wage to inflation and has no city minimum wages.
Rhode Island at a glance
| Current rate | $16.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Effective | January 1, 2026 |
| Tipped cash wage | $3.89 / hour (R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-5); tips must bring the total to $16.00 |
| Next scheduled change | $17.00 on January 1, 2027 (already enacted) |
| Minors aged 14 and 15 | 75% of the minimum ($12.00) in weeks of 24 hours or less |
| Full-time students under 19 | 90% ($14.40) at certain nonprofit employers, per DLT |
| Local rates | None found |
How the Rhode Island minimum wage is set
Rhode Island sets its minimum wage by statute, one step at a time, with no automatic inflation index. R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3 lists each rate: $14.00 from January 1, 2024, $15.00 from January 1, 2025, $16.00 from January 1, 2026 and $17.00 from January 1, 2027. The last two steps were added by the General Assembly in 2025 (P.L. 2025, ch. 222 and 223). Nothing in the statute sets a rate after 2027, so any further increase would need new legislation.
| Effective | Minimum wage |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2024 | $14.00 |
| January 1, 2025 | $15.00 |
| January 1, 2026 | $16.00 |
| January 1, 2027 | $17.00 |
Tipped employees
R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-5 sets the cash wage for employees who receive gratuities at not less than $3.89 an hour, the level it reached on January 1, 2017, and DLT's 2026 minimum wage poster lists “Employees receiving gratuities” at $3.89. Cash wage plus tips must reach the full minimum, $16.00 in 2026 and $17.00 in 2027, or the employer pays the difference. The statute schedules no change to the $3.89 figure. One caution: DLT's minimum wage web page currently describes $3.89 as a tip credit and gives a $12.11 cash wage, which does not match the statute or DLT's own poster. If you pay tipped staff near the floor, confirm the figure with DLT's Labor Standards unit before relying on either reading.
Minors and full-time students
- Minors aged 14 and 15: may be paid not less than 75% of the minimum wage, which DLT gives as $12.00 in 2026, but only in weeks when they work 24 hours or less. In any week over 24 hours, every hour that week must be paid at the full rate (28-12-3.1).
- Full-time students under 19: DLT says certain full-time students may be paid 90% of the minimum wage, $14.40 an hour in 2026. The exception is limited to students working for specific kinds of nonprofit employers, so check DLT's guidance before using it.
Local rates
We found no Rhode Island city with its own minimum wage, so $16.00 applies statewide in 2026.
What this means for hiring
The $17.00 step on January 1, 2027 is already law, so budget for it now and update any job ad, offer letter or pay band that quotes $16.00 before the new year. Rhode Island also requires weekly pay for most hourly staff and a written pay notice at the start of employment, both covered on our Rhode Island labor laws for employers page. To see what a hire costs at the new rate once payroll taxes and benefits are added, use the employee cost calculator. In the ad itself, put the rate you actually pay in the first line.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Check the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training for the current rate before you set pay.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Rhode Island in 2026?
$16.00 an hour, effective January 1, 2026, under R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3. Tipped employees can be paid a cash wage of $3.89 an hour under the statute, as long as tips bring them to $16.00. Minors aged 14 and 15 working 24 hours a week or less can be paid 75% of the minimum, which is $12.00.
Is Rhode Island raising its minimum wage?
Yes. The minimum wage rises to $17.00 an hour on January 1, 2027. That step is already written into R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3, added by the General Assembly in 2025, so it does not depend on a future announcement. The statute sets no rate after 2027, and Rhode Island does not index its minimum wage to inflation.
What will the Rhode Island minimum wage be in 2027?
$17.00 an hour from January 1, 2027, up one dollar from $16.00. The rate is set in R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-3. Pay bands, job ads and offer letters for roles near the floor should be updated before then, and weekly payroll runs that include January 1 need the new rate from that day.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Rhode Island?
The statute sets the cash wage for employees receiving gratuities at $3.89 an hour, unchanged since 2017, and DLT's 2026 poster lists the same figure. Wages plus tips must reach $16.00, or $17.00 from 2027. DLT's web page currently describes $3.89 as a tip credit instead, so confirm with DLT if you pay close to the minimum.
Does Rhode Island have a lower minimum wage for teenagers?
Yes, for 14- and 15-year-olds in weeks when they work 24 hours or less: they may be paid 75% of the minimum wage, $12.00 an hour in 2026. In any week they work more than 24 hours, all hours that week must be paid at the full rate (28-12-3.1). There is no lower rate for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Hiring hourly workers in Rhode Island?
We can tell you whether your job ads are priced to the current wage floor, and the $17.00 one coming in January, before you spend anything.
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