Youth minimum wage
Under FLSA section 6(g), an employer may pay a youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour to workers under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with that employer. After 90 days, or when the worker turns 20, the full applicable minimum wage applies.[DOL FS-32][YouthRules]
State variants
- Delaware: Training wage of $13.75 per hour for the first 90 days under 19 Del. C. section 902.
- South Dakota: Youth rate of $4.25 for workers under 20 for the first 90 days under SDCL section 60-11-4.1.
- Rhode Island: 14-15 year-old rate of 75 percent of the state minimum ($11.25 in 2026) under R.I.G.L. section 28-12-3.
- Utah: Minor rate of $4.25 for workers under 18 for the first 90 days under Utah Code section 34-40-103.
- Wisconsin: Opportunity wage of $5.90 for workers under 20 for the first 90 days under Wis. Stat. section 104.035.
- Idaho, Iowa, Wyoming: Permit the federal $4.25 youth wage with no state-specific carve-out.
Hours-of-work rules for minors
Wage floor is separate from hours restrictions. FLSA child-labor rules limit 14-15 year-olds to 3 hours on a school day and 8 on a non-school day, with absolute bans on certain hazardous occupations under 14. State law often layers stricter limits on top, especially during the school year.