You can recover unpaid wages, overtime, and tips in Texas if you know your rights and how to enforce them. Does your employer owe you unpaid wages or overtime? Or, maybe you need information on the breaks you’re entitled to, overtime rules, or your right to tips. If so, you'll find the information you need on this site to learn what you can do in Texas to get the money you have earned.
Here, we answer many common questions about wage and hour law in Texas, including:
- your rights to pay and what to do if you are owed pay
- whether you are eligible for overtime pay in Texas
- your right to tips in Texas
- what breaks you are entitled to in Texas, and
- how to file a wage claim against your employer with the Texas Workforce Commission.
A few things to keep in mind as you explore this site:
1. Wage and hour laws differ from state to state.
Most states have enacted their own wage and hour regulations and procedures for employees to follow if they have been treated unfairly. These regulations and procedures vary from state to state. Start by finding out about your rights to pay in Texas.
2. Some states simply adopt the federal minimum wage and overtime standards, but most states have higher standards.
The U.S. Department of Labor covers minimum wage, overtime, and other wage and hour matters. In states that have not adopted their own wage and hour regulations and procedures, your rights are set out by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Texas Workforce Commission is the agency that enforces labor laws in Texas. Check there to find out more about minimum wage and overtime rules in Texas.
Texas has a minimum wage law. The current minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 per hour for non-exempt employees, which matches the federal minimum wage. However, a new law, the Texas Fair Minimum Wage Act, was signed in 2023, and it will gradually increase the state's minimum wage to $15.00 per hour by 2026. The law will take effect on January 1, 2024, with an initial increase to $9.50 per hour
Check Texas Workforce Commission to find out more.
3. You are entitled to certain payments when your employment ends.
Your final paycheck must include certain amounts, regardless of whether you resigned, were laid off, or were fired. Find out whether your former employer met Texas’s final paycheck requirements. If you are fired, laid off, or otherwise involuntarily lose your job in Texas, your employer must pay your final paycheck within six calendar days after your dismissal. If you quit, your employer must pay your final paycheck on the next regular payday.