Nevada Minimum Wage 2026: $12.00 for All Workers, No Tip Credit
Nevada minimum wage is $12.00 per hour for every employee as of July 1, 2024, with no health-benefit tier and no tip credit. Daily overtime applies to workers earning under $18.00 per hour.
The Nevada minimum wage is $12.00 per hour for all employees. The rate took effect on July 1, 2024 and remains $12.00 in the Labor Commissioner's 2026 bulletin. Nevada no longer has a lower tier for employers that offer health insurance, and the state does not allow a tip credit, so servers and bartenders earn $12.00 in wages before tips. One rule sets Nevada apart from most states: employees earning less than $18.00 per hour must be paid daily overtime after 8 hours in a workday.
- Nevada pays $12.00 per hour statewide, set by a 2022 constitutional amendment that voters approved as Ballot Question 2
- The two-tier system that let employers offering health benefits pay $1.00 less ended on July 1, 2024
- No tip credit: tipped employees receive the full $12.00 plus tips
- Workers paid less than 1.5 times the minimum wage ($18.00) earn overtime after 8 hours in a 24-hour period, not just after 40 in a week
- No increase is scheduled; the rate can only rise if the federal minimum wage passes it or voters amend the constitution again
Current Nevada Minimum Wage
The Office of the Labor Commissioner publishes a minimum wage bulletin each year before July 1. The bulletin posted on June 29, 2026 confirms that the minimum wage effective July 1, 2026 is $12.00 per hour for all employees regardless of whether the employer offers health benefits.
The single rate is the result of Ballot Question 2, which Nevada voters passed in November 2022. The amendment to the Nevada Constitution set the minimum wage at $12.00 beginning July 1, 2024 and removed the earlier two-tier structure. It also provides that if the federal minimum wage ever exceeds $12.00, the federal rate becomes Nevada's minimum.
Nevada Minimum Wage vs Federal Minimum Wage
| Rate | Amount | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada minimum wage | $12.00 per hour | July 1, 2024 (confirmed for 2026) |
| Federal minimum wage | $7.25 per hour | July 24, 2009 |
| Difference | $4.75 per hour |
Because Nevada's rate is higher, it governs for every employer in the state. The federal rule matters only for overtime, where the 40-hour weekly threshold applies alongside Nevada's daily rule. Compare Nevada with other states in our minimum wage by state guide.
Tipped Minimum Wage in Nevada
Nevada does not permit a tip credit. Under NRS 608.160 an employer may not use an employee's tips as a credit toward the minimum wage, so tipped workers in Las Vegas casinos, Reno restaurants and everywhere else in the state must be paid at least $12.00 per hour in wages. Tips belong to the employee, although valid tip pooling arrangements among employees who customarily receive tips are allowed.
The US Department of Labor's tipped wage table lists Nevada among the states that require the full state minimum wage before tips, alongside Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Nevada Minimum Wage Increase Schedule
Before the 2022 amendment, a 2019 law (Assembly Bill 456) raised the minimum wage by 75 cents each July 1 until it reached $12.00, with a $1.00 lower rate for employers that offered qualifying health benefits.
| Effective date | Without health benefits | With health benefits |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2021 | $9.75 | $8.75 |
| July 1, 2022 | $10.50 | $9.50 |
| July 1, 2023 | $11.25 | $10.25 |
| July 1, 2024 | $12.00 | Tier eliminated |
| July 1, 2025 | $12.00 | Single rate |
| July 1, 2026 | $12.00 | Single rate |
There is no scheduled increase and no inflation indexing. Changing the rate now requires either a federal increase above $12.00 or another constitutional amendment, which must pass in two consecutive general elections.
Local Minimum Wages in Nevada
No city or county in Nevada sets its own minimum wage. Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno and Clark County all follow the statewide $12.00 rate. Employers with staff in several Nevada locations can use one rate throughout the state.
Who Is Covered and Who Is Exempt
Nevada's minimum wage applies to nearly all employees. The constitutional amendment and NRS 608.250 exclude a short list, including casual babysitters, domestic workers who live in the employer's home, outside salespeople paid on commission, some agricultural workers, taxi and limousine drivers, and employees under 18 in certain circumstances. Salaried professionals, managers and administrators who meet the duties tests are exempt from overtime but are still generally entitled to at least the minimum wage.
The classification rules follow the federal framework; see our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees for the tests employers apply.
Overtime and the Minimum Wage
Nevada's overtime rule under NRS 608.018 has two parts. Every non-exempt employee earns time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. In addition, employees who earn less than 1.5 times the minimum wage, which is $18.00 per hour in 2026, earn time and a half for hours worked beyond 8 in any 24-hour period. An employee who agrees to a 4-day, 10-hour schedule can waive the daily rule in writing.
Because every minimum wage worker earns less than $18.00, the daily rule applies to all of them. A worker who puts in one 12-hour shift is owed 4 hours of daily overtime even if the week totals fewer than 40 hours. Across a 45-hour week of five 9-hour days, the same worker earns 40 hours at $12.00 ($480.00) plus 5 overtime hours at $18.00 ($90.00), for $570.00 gross.
Our overtime calculator handles daily and weekly thresholds, and our guide to overtime pay laws by state explains how Nevada's daily rule compares with California, Alaska and Colorado.
What a Minimum Wage Worker Earns in Nevada
| Period | Hours | Gross pay at $12.00 |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 40 | $480.00 |
| Biweekly | 80 | $960.00 |
| Monthly (average) | 173.33 | $2,080.00 |
| Annual | 2,080 | $24,960.00 |
These figures are gross wages before taxes and deductions. Our explainer on gross pay covers what comes out of a paycheck, and the salary to hourly calculator converts any hourly rate to an annual figure.
Employer Compliance Checklist
- Pay at least $12.00 per hour to every employee, with no reduction for offering health benefits
- Do not take a tip credit; pay tipped staff the full minimum wage
- Apply daily overtime after 8 hours in a 24-hour period to anyone earning less than $18.00 per hour, unless a valid 4-by-10 agreement is in place
- Apply weekly overtime after 40 hours to all non-exempt staff
- Post the Labor Commissioner's current annual minimum wage and overtime bulletins where employees can see them
- Track start and end times for every shift; daily overtime makes punch-level records essential, and a time card calculator or automatic time tracking removes the guesswork
Reviewed September 2026
The $12.00 rate and the $18.00 daily overtime threshold come from the Nevada Labor Commissioner's 2026 Minimum Wage Bulletin and the US Department of Labor's July 1, 2026 tables. Confirm current figures with the Office of the Labor Commissioner before setting pay rates, especially if the federal minimum wage changes.
Daily overtime needs shift-level time records
HiveDesk logs every clock-in and clock-out automatically, so Nevada's 8-hour daily overtime rule is applied correctly and documented. $5/user/month, 14-day free trial.
How Nevada Compares With Neighboring States
Nevada's $12.00 is lower than its West Coast neighbors but well above Idaho and Utah, which follow the federal rate.
| State | Minimum wage (July 1, 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $12.00 | No tip credit; daily overtime under $18.00 |
| California | $16.90 | Indexed each January; no tip credit |
| Oregon | $15.55 | Standard rate; higher in Portland metro; no tip credit |
| Arizona | $15.15 | Indexed each January; Flagstaff and Tucson higher |
| Idaho | $7.25 | Federal rate |
| Utah | $7.25 | Federal rate |
Employers who staff Las Vegas and Reno from neighboring states should note that Nevada's daily overtime rule has no equivalent in Arizona, Idaho or Utah, while California's daily rule applies at every wage level.
Common Minimum Wage Mistakes in Nevada
- Paying the old $11.25 or $10.25 health-benefit tier after July 1, 2024
- Applying a tip credit to servers, bartenders or dealers; Nevada does not allow it
- Calculating overtime only on the weekly 40-hour basis for workers under $18.00 per hour, and missing the daily rule
- Treating a 4-by-10 schedule as exempt from daily overtime without a written agreement
- Forgetting that the daily overtime threshold is a wage test, so a raise to $18.00 changes an employee's overtime treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Nevada in 2026?
$12.00 per hour for all employees. The rate has been in effect since July 1, 2024 and was confirmed in the 2026 bulletin.
Does Nevada still have a lower minimum wage for employers that offer health insurance?
No. Ballot Question 2, approved by voters in 2022, eliminated the two-tier system as of July 1, 2024.
Is the Nevada minimum wage going up in 2027?
No increase is scheduled. The constitution sets the rate at $12.00 unless the federal minimum wage exceeds it.
Can Nevada employers pay tipped employees less than minimum wage?
No. Nevada prohibits tip credits, so tipped employees must receive at least $12.00 per hour in wages plus their tips.
Who gets daily overtime in Nevada?
Employees earning less than 1.5 times the minimum wage, which is $18.00 per hour in 2026, earn overtime after 8 hours in a 24-hour period unless they have agreed in writing to a 4-day, 10-hour schedule.
What is the minimum wage in Las Vegas?
$12.00 per hour, the same as the rest of Nevada. No Nevada city or county has its own minimum wage.
Is there a youth or training wage in Nevada?
Nevada does not have a general training wage. Some employees under 18 fall outside the constitutional minimum wage in limited circumstances; confirm the specific exemption with the Labor Commissioner.
How much does a full-time minimum wage worker earn in Nevada per year?
$24,960 before taxes, based on 2,080 hours at $12.00 per hour.