The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is the lowest hourly wage that an employer can legally pay its employees. As of 2021, the minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 per hour, which is the same as the federal minimum wage. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, and some employees can be paid less than the minimum wage under certain circumstances.
Minimum Wage In Pennsylvania
The minimum wage in Pennsylvania has been the same since 2009, despite efforts to increase it in recent years. Several bills have been introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025, but none of them have been passed into law.
Under Pennsylvania law, certain types of employees are exempt from the minimum wage requirements. For example, tipped employees, such as servers and bartenders, can be paid a lower minimum wage of $2.83 per hour, as long as their tips bring their total hourly pay up to at least $7.25 per hour. However, if their tips do not make up the difference, their employer is required to pay them the difference.
Employees who are under the age of 18 can also be paid a lower minimum wage of $6.55 per hour, as long as they are not employed more than 28 hours per week during the school year or more than 40 hours per week during the summer. While the minimum wage in Pennsylvania may seem low, it is important to note that it is not the only factor that determines how much employees are paid. Other factors, such as the type of industry, the employee’s experience and education, and the company’s overall financial situation, can all play a role in determining an employee’s pay rate.
Some critics of the current minimum wage in Pennsylvania argue that it is not enough to provide employees with a living wage. Many workers who earn the minimum wage in Pennsylvania are forced to work multiple jobs, live in poverty, and rely on government assistance programs to make ends meet. They argue that raising the minimum wage would not only help these workers, but it would also stimulate the economy by putting more money into the hands of consumers.
The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 per hour, which is the same as the federal minimum wage. However, some employees can be paid less than minimum wage under certain circumstances. The debate around raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania is ongoing, with some arguing that it is not enough to provide workers with a living wage.