# Rhode Island tipped minimum wage 2026

In Rhode Island the minimum wage is $16.00 an hour, and an employer can pay a tipped employee a cash wage as low as $3.89, counting up to $12.11 an hour of tips toward the rest. If tips fall short in a workweek, the employer pays the difference.

Check your own week with the free [calculator on this page](https://rulecost.com/paycheck/tipped-minimum-wage/rhode-island/), prefilled with Rhode Island's rates.

- Minimum wage: $16.00 / hour
- Lowest cash wage for tipped employees: $3.89 / hour
- Maximum tip credit: $12.11 / hour
- Tipped employee: more than $30 a month in tips

## 2027

On January 1, 2027, Rhode Island's minimum wage rises to $17.00 an hour. The $17.00 step is set by a 2025 law. We could not confirm the 2027 tipped cash wage, which is $3.89 in 2026. Source: https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases/governor-mckee-signs-legislation-raising-rhode-island-minimum-wage

## Not paid the minimum wage?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists the [Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training](https://dlt.ri.gov) as Rhode Island's labor office. Federal complaints: Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243.

## Sources

- [Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- [State Minimum Wage Laws](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- [Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the FLSA](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/15-tipped-employees-flsa), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division