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One workweek at a time — the minimum wage is checked week by week, not averaged over a month

Enter the higher of the federal and your state or city rate — this tool doesn't look it up

The sales your commission is a percentage of

0 if you're paid by commission only

0 if your employer pays the full minimum wage in cash

What is a tip credit?
Some employers count part of your tips toward the minimum wage and pay a lower cash wage. The federal cash wage can't go below $2.13 an hour, so the largest federal credit is $5.12 an hour. The employer must tell you it's being used and let you keep all your tips, and if your tips don't cover the credit, they make up the difference. Many states allow a smaller credit or none.

Federal guidance lets an employer pass on no more than the fee the card company actually charged — some states don't allow it at all

Owed to reach the minimum wage

$0

Estimate for reference only, not verified proof — check the sources below, and their access date, before relying on this for a claim or filing.

Commission earned
$0
Employer pay (base + commission)
$0
Minimum-wage floor for the week
$0
Pay per hour, before tips
—
Tips you keep after card fees
$0

    This is a federal minimum-wage check for an employee, using the rate you entered. It does not decide overtime, whether you're an employee or a contractor, or what your state requires — some states regulate how commission pay is structured, not just how much.

    Montana tipped minimum wage 2026

    What servers, bartenders and salon, barber and spa workers in Montana must be paid per hour, how much of it tips can cover, and a calculator for this week's pay.

    Montana does not allow a tip credit, so tipped employees must be paid the full $10.85 minimum wage in cash before tips. Tips come on top of that wage and belong to the employee.

    Reviewed by RuleCost Editorial Team. Rules for 2026, updated 30 Sept 2026.

    How to use it

    1. 1The calculator starts with Montana's $10.85 minimum wage and a $0.00 tip credit. Change them if your city or employer size has a different rate.
    2. 2Enter the hours you worked in one workweek — the minimum wage is checked a week at a time.
    3. 3Enter your commission, base pay and tips. The result is what your employer still owes to reach the minimum wage that week.

    Montana tipped wage at a glance

    Minimum wage$10.85 / hour
    Lowest cash wage for tipped employees$10.85 / hour
    Maximum tip creditNone — not allowed
    From January 1, 2027$11.20 minimum, no tip credit
    Federal comparison$7.25 minimum, $2.13 tipped

    Montana's tipped cash wage ranks 12 of 51 (the 50 states and DC, highest first). Compare every state.

    Other rates: The $10.85 rate applies to businesses with gross annual sales over $110,000. Smaller businesses not covered by the federal FLSA may pay $4.00, but anyone covered by the FLSA gets at least $7.25. Montana does not allow a tip credit.

    What changes in 2027

    On January 1, 2027, Montana's minimum wage rises to $11.20 an hour, paid in full to tipped workers too (no tip credit). Source.

    A 30-hour week in Montana

    The employer pays at least 30 × $10.85 = $325.50 before tips, and every tip is on top of that. A server with $300 in tips that week takes home $625.50 before taxes.

    Not paid the minimum wage?

    The U.S. Department of Labor lists the Montana Department of Labor and Industry as Montana's labor office — check there how to file a state wage claim. You can also complain to the federal Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 (1-866-4-USWAGE); it's free, confidential and does not depend on your immigration status. Keep a record of your hours, cash wage and tips for each workweek.

    Tips and taxes

    Tips you keep are still yours even when the employer takes a tip credit — employers, managers and supervisors can't keep any of them. From 2025 through 2028, qualified tips can also be deducted from federal income tax; see the no tax on tips calculator.

    Questions

    What is the tipped minimum wage in Montana in 2026?
    The same as the regular minimum wage: $10.85 an hour, paid in cash by the employer. Montana doesn't let tips count toward it.
    Can a Montana employer count tips toward the minimum wage?
    No. Montana requires the full minimum wage to be paid in cash before tips, so tips can't reduce what the employer pays.
    What happens if my tips don’t reach the minimum wage?
    It can't happen with the wage itself — the employer already pays the full $10.85 an hour. Tips are extra.
    Does the Montana minimum wage apply to commission pay at a salon, barbershop or spa?
    Yes, for employees. Commission counts as pay, but each workweek the total still has to reach $10.85 for every hour worked, and a good week can't make up for a bad one. Booth renters and true independent contractors aren't covered this way.
    What will the minimum wage be in Montana in 2027?
    On January 1, 2027, Montana's minimum wage rises to $11.20 an hour, paid in full to tipped workers too (no tip credit).
    Are there other rates in Montana?
    The $10.85 rate applies to businesses with gross annual sales over $110,000. Smaller businesses not covered by the federal FLSA may pay $4.00, but anyone covered by the FLSA gets at least $7.25. Montana does not allow a tip credit.