Utah Minimum Wage Calculator

Utah Minimum Wage & Labor Law Guide (Utah Code § 34-40-104)

In the State of Utah, the statutory minimum wage is established by the Utah Minimum Wage Act (Utah Code Ann. § 34-40-101 et seq.). Utah state law explicitly mirrors the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), setting the general minimum wage at $7.25 per hour.

Utah Tipped Employee Rules & Maximum Tip Credit ($5.12/hr)

Utah law permits employers to take a tip credit against the statutory minimum wage for regularly tipped employees (such as servers, bussers, and bartenders):

• Minimum Cash Wage: Employers may pay a minimum direct cash wage of $2.13 per hour.
• Maximum Tip Credit: The maximum allowable tip credit is $5.12 per hour ($7.25 minimum wage minus $2.13 cash wage).
• Mandatory Tip Make-Up Pay: If an employee's direct cash wage ($2.13/hr) combined with verified tips does not average at least $7.25 per hour across all hours worked in the workweek, the employer must make up the deficit by paying additional cash wages under Utah Admin. Code R610-1-4.

Overtime Calculations in the Beehive State

Utah does not impose daily overtime limits (such as after 8 hours per day). Instead, Utah follows federal FLSA weekly overtime standards under 29 U.S.C. § 207:

• Non-exempt employees must be paid 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked exceeding 40 hours in a 7-day payroll workweek.
• At the baseline $7.25/hr rate, minimum overtime pay is $10.875 per hour.
• For tipped employees, overtime is calculated based on the full minimum wage ($7.25 × 1.5 = $10.875), minus the allowable tip credit ($5.12), requiring an overtime cash wage of at least $5.755 per hour from the employer.

Municipal Preemption in Utah

Under Utah Code § 34-40-106, the state legislature has enacted complete municipal preemption. Cities and counties (including Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, and Park City) are legally prohibited from establishing local municipal minimum wage ordinances higher than the state standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Utah employers force employees to participate in a tip pool?

Yes, mandatory tip pooling is legal in Utah if tips are shared solely among customarily tipped employees (servers, runners, bartenders). Managers, supervisors, and owners are strictly forbidden from participating in employee tip pools under the 2018 FLSA amendments.

What is the youth minimum wage in Utah?

Under federal and Utah law, employers may pay minors under age 20 a training rate of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment.

How does Utah handle meal and rest breaks?

Utah state law does not mandate meal or rest breaks for adult employees over 18 years of age. However, under Utah Admin. Code R610-2-3, minors under 18 must receive a 30-minute meal period no later than 5 hours into a work shift and a 10-minute paid rest break every 4 hours.