Best States for Overtime Workers (2026)
If you rely on overtime to make ends meet, your state matters. Overtime pay is taxed as regular income — so states with no income tax let you keep more of every overtime hour. Combined with minimum wage differences, your take-home pay on 10 hours of weekly overtime can vary by thousands of dollars per year between states.
- Connecticut ranks #1 with the highest min wage at $16.35.
- Wyoming ranks last at $7.25 — the lowest among all states.
- The leading 5 states are Connecticut, Washington, California, New York, New Jersey.
- All data is sourced from verified government databases and updated for 2026.
Top 3 States
All 50 States Ranked
Highest to lowest by min wage
| # | State | Min Wage | Top Tax Rate | Median Income | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $16.35 | 6.99% | $83,771 | Overtime Calculator |
| 2 | Washington | $16.28 | 0.00% | $82,228 | Overtime Calculator |
| 3 | California | $16 | 13.30% | $91,905 | Overtime Calculator |
| 4 | New York | $16 | 10.90% | $74,314 | Overtime Calculator |
| 5 | New Jersey | $15.49 | 10.75% | $89,296 | Overtime Calculator |
| 6 | Maryland | $15 | 5.75% | $90,203 | Overtime Calculator |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $15 | 9.00% | $89,645 | Overtime Calculator |
| 8 | Oregon | $14.7 | 9.90% | $70,084 | Overtime Calculator |
| 9 | Colorado | $14.42 | 4.40% | $82,254 | Overtime Calculator |
| 10 | Arizona | $14.35 | 2.50% | $72,581 | Overtime Calculator |
| 11 | Maine | $14.15 | 7.15% | $64,767 | Overtime Calculator |
| 12 | Hawaii | $14 | 11.00% | $84,857 | Overtime Calculator |
| 13 | Illinois | $14 | 4.95% | $72,205 | Overtime Calculator |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $14 | 5.99% | $71,169 | Overtime Calculator |
| 15 | Vermont | $13.67 | 8.75% | $65,792 | Overtime Calculator |
| 16 | Delaware | $13.25 | 6.60% | $72,724 | Overtime Calculator |
| 17 | Florida | $13 | 0.00% | $67,917 | Overtime Calculator |
| 18 | Missouri | $12.3 | 4.80% | $60,905 | Overtime Calculator |
| 19 | Nebraska | $12 | 5.84% | $66,644 | Overtime Calculator |
| 20 | Nevada | $12 | 0.00% | $66,274 | Overtime Calculator |
| 21 | New Mexico | $12 | 5.90% | $54,020 | Overtime Calculator |
| 22 | Virginia | $12 | 5.75% | $80,615 | Overtime Calculator |
| 23 | Alaska | $11.73 | 0.00% | $77,790 | Overtime Calculator |
| 24 | South Dakota | $11.2 | 0.00% | $63,920 | Overtime Calculator |
| 25 | Arkansas | $11 | 4.40% | $52,528 | Overtime Calculator |
| 26 | Minnesota | $10.85 | 9.85% | $77,706 | Overtime Calculator |
| 27 | Ohio | $10.45 | 3.50% | $58,642 | Overtime Calculator |
| 28 | Michigan | $10.33 | 4.25% | $63,202 | Overtime Calculator |
| 29 | Montana | $10.3 | 5.90% | $60,560 | Overtime Calculator |
| 30 | West Virginia | $8.75 | 5.12% | $48,850 | Overtime Calculator |
| 31 | Alabama | $7.25 | 5.00% | $56,929 | Overtime Calculator |
| 32 | Georgia | $7.25 | 5.49% | $65,030 | Overtime Calculator |
| 33 | Idaho | $7.25 | 5.80% | $63,377 | Overtime Calculator |
| 34 | Indiana | $7.25 | 3.05% | $61,944 | Overtime Calculator |
| 35 | Iowa | $7.25 | 3.80% | $65,573 | Overtime Calculator |
| 36 | Kansas | $7.25 | 5.70% | $64,521 | Overtime Calculator |
| 37 | Kentucky | $7.25 | 4.00% | $55,573 | Overtime Calculator |
| 38 | Louisiana | $7.25 | 4.25% | $52,295 | Overtime Calculator |
| 39 | Mississippi | $7.25 | 5.00% | $48,610 | Overtime Calculator |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $7.25 | 0.00% | $83,449 | Overtime Calculator |
| 41 | North Carolina | $7.25 | 4.50% | $60,516 | Overtime Calculator |
| 42 | North Dakota | $7.25 | 1.95% | $68,131 | Overtime Calculator |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $7.25 | 4.75% | $55,826 | Overtime Calculator |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $7.25 | 3.07% | $67,587 | Overtime Calculator |
| 45 | South Carolina | $7.25 | 6.40% | $56,227 | Overtime Calculator |
| 46 | Tennessee | $7.25 | 0.00% | $56,071 | Overtime Calculator |
| 47 | Texas | $7.25 | 0.00% | $67,321 | Overtime Calculator |
| 48 | Utah | $7.25 | 4.65% | $79,449 | Overtime Calculator |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $7.25 | 7.65% | $67,125 | Overtime Calculator |
| 50 | Wyoming | $7.25 | 0.00% | $65,003 | Overtime Calculator |
Methodology
How we collected and ranked the data
States are ranked by minimum wage (descending) — higher minimum wage means higher overtime base rate. We also show state tax rates since overtime is taxed as ordinary income. Workers in no-tax states with high minimum wages earn the most after-tax overtime pay. Data from DOL and Tax Foundation, updated 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states pay the most overtime?
States with the highest minimum wages — Washington ($16.66), California ($16.00), New York ($15.00+) — have the highest mandatory overtime rates. At 1.5x, Washington workers earn at least $24.99/hr in overtime. However, high-tax states reduce the after-tax benefit.
Is overtime taxed higher than regular pay?
No. Overtime is taxed at the same rate as regular income. It may seem like more is withheld because the payroll system projects your annual income higher based on that paycheck, but the effective tax rate is the same. States with no income tax maximize your overtime take-home pay.