New Hampshire’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which matches the current federal minimum wage. It’s also the lowest state minimum wage in New England, though some businesses choose to pay more to remain competitive.
What you’ll learn
What you’ll learn
Key takeaways
- The minimum wage in New Hampshire is currently $7.25 per hour, which matches the federal minimum wage rate
- Tipped workers in New Hampshire can be paid $3.27 per hour if their tips bring their New Hampshire hourly wages up to at least $7.25 per hour. Employers are responsible for covering any remaining wage gap
- New Hampshire’s state minimum wage law includes some exceptions for trainees, students, and other categories
- To comply with state law, both large and small employers are required to manage state minimum wages, updates to rules and regulations, overtime pay, and tax withholdings
This guide breaks down everything New Hampshire employers need to know about standard rates, tipped wages, overtime rules, and special exemptions.
Current New Hampshire minimum wage
The current New Hampshire state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, and has been since 2009. The state does not have its own minimum wage laws, so it follows the federal minimum wage rate.
While legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12.50 or $15 per hour has been introduced in the past, it was ultimately defeated.
When state and federal minimum wages differ, your business is responsible for paying the higher of the two wage rates. In New Hampshire, the rates are the same. However, you must also pay accurate minimum wage rates if you hire across state lines. State minimum wages in New England span from as low as $7.25 per hour in New Hampshire to $16.94 per hour in Connecticut.
Tipped employee wages
Tipped workers in New Hampshire can be paid a rate of $3.27 per hour, but their hourly wages must reach a minimum of $7.25 per hour. If the wages fail to do so, the employer must make up the difference to equal the minimum wage.
For example, if one of your tipped employees earns $3 per hour in tips plus the standard $3.27 per hour minimum wage, that would result in an hourly wage of $6.27. Your business would then be required to cover the additional 98 cents to reach the minimum $7.25 per hour. Automated payroll software can streamline and standardize this process, taking the guesswork out of paying hourly and tipped employees.
Exceptions and special wage rules
When it comes to the minimum wage in New Hampshire, your business should be aware of a few exceptions and special rules for team members working in the Granite State.
Training and underage wages
Workers under 16 or with less than 6 months of work experience can be paid 75% of the state’s minimum wage, which is $5.44 per hour.
Other exceptions to New Hampshire’s minimum wage rules include the following:
- Domestic services workers: Employees who work in a private household or in domestic labor can be paid less than New Hampshire’s minimum wage.
- Special categories: Other jobs that can be paid under the minimum include agricultural workers, seasonal and recreational workers, outside sales reps, newspaper carriers, and nonprofessional ski patrol workers.
In New Hampshire, it is essential to follow minimum wage ranges to meet or exceed wage laws and anywhere else you do business. If you have questions regarding New Hampshire or federal minimum wage law, it’s a good idea to consult with an employment attorney, HR specialist, or your local department of labor.
Overtime and payroll compliance
State overtime laws in New Hampshire require your business to pay 1.5 times your workers’ hourly rate for any hours worked beyond 40 in a work week. Time-and-a-half pay in New Hampshire adds up to $10.88 for employees who are paid the state’s minimum wage.
As an example, if one of your employees earning minimum wage works 55 hours in a work week, they would earn gross pay of $453.13 based on the following calculations:
- Regular pay for the first 40 hours (7.25 x 40) = $290
- Overtime pay for the next 15 hours (10.88 x 15) = $163.20
- Total pay (before taxes) = $453.20
You can establish these calculations in your payroll software to support ongoing compliance with the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and ensure correct payments for your employees. OnPay’s New Hampshire hourly pay calculator can also simplify this process. Likewise, an online calculator can make it easier to assess and calculate payroll tax rates for all your New Hampshire employees.
Local ordinances and city variations
New Hampshire state law prohibits cities and municipalities from increasing the minimum wage or requiring a different wage rate. Every city in New Hampshire has a minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour. However, if you have workers across state lines in Maine or Vermont, you must pay employees in those states’ higher minimum wage rates.
The living wage in New Hampshire, which is the hourly rate an individual needs to earn to support themselves and their families, is $25.77 for one adult with no children. It increases to $45.54 for two adults (one working) with two children, and $32.20 for two working adults with two children. Some New Hampshire businesses opt to offer higher hourly pay to remain competitive with other New England establishments.
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“OnPay is incredibly easy to use, saves me hours and potential fines for tax paperwork. As everything is handled by the team, once I hit submit for payroll. Incredible support, responsive, quick, and have helped me resolve any issues when I need help. It frees me up to handle other aspects of the business.”
— Roy Bennett, Joski Tile
Your business should stay on top of federal and state payroll updates to make sure you are ready when wage rates or regulations adjust. Don’t forget to communicate any changes in payroll or wage rates with your employees before they take effect.
Ensure compliance with confidence in New Hampshire
Navigating New Hampshire’s wage requirements is about more than matching the $7.25 federal minimum or tracking overtime. It’s fundamentally about building a reliable, positive workplace for your team. Whether you’re managing the $3.27 tipped minimum wage and making up the difference, applying youth training wages, or paying more competitive rates to match the rest of New England, getting payroll right is key.
Manually tracking these details doesn’t have to slow you down. A dependable payroll process automates tracking hours, calculates tip makeups, and ensures accurate overtime pay. When you let a system handle the heavy lifting of calculations, deductions, and tax withholdings, you take those tasks off your plate. Try OnPay today to see how easy paying employees can be!
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Jon Davis is the Sr. Content Marketing Manager at OnPay. He has over 15 years of experience writing for small and growing businesses. Jon lives and works in Atlanta.