Minimum Wage Preemption: Cary vs Raleigh
How do minimum wage preemption rules compare between Cary, NC and Raleigh, NC?
Cary has fewer restrictions than Raleigh.
Cary, NC
Wake County
North Carolina preempts local minimum wage ordinances under NCGS 95-25.1, requiring employers statewide to follow the state and federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
View full Cary rules →Raleigh, NC
Wake County
Raleigh cannot set a citywide private-sector minimum wage. N.C.G.S. § 95-25.1(b) preempts municipal wage ordinances. The North Carolina state minimum wage in N.C.G.S. § 95-25.3 matches federal FLSA at $7.25/hour. Tipped wage: $2.13/hour cash + tips equaling $7.25.
View full Raleigh rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Cary | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | |
| State Minimum Wage | - | $7.25/hr (NCGS § 95-25.3) |
| Tipped Wage | - | $2.13/hr cash + tips |
| Preemption Statute | - | N.C.G.S. § 95-25.1(b) |
| Raleigh City Living Wage | - | $17.50/hr (city employees + contractors) |
| Enforcement | - | NCDOL + U.S. DOL |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Cary FAQ
Can a North Carolina city raise the minimum wage above $7.25?
No. NCGS 95-25.1 preempts local minimum wage ordinances applied to private employers.
Can a county require contractors to pay a living wage?
Counties may impose wage requirements on their own contracts in some cases, but cannot generally regulate private employer wages outside government contracting.
Raleigh FAQ
Is Raleigh's minimum wage higher than the rest of North Carolina?
Not for private workers. The state $7.25/hour rate applies. Raleigh pays its own City workers and direct contractors $17.50/hour by Council policy, but cannot extend that to private businesses.
Can Raleigh adopt its own $15 minimum wage?
No. N.C.G.S. § 95-25.1(b) expressly preempts local wage ordinances. The NC General Assembly would have to raise the state minimum or repeal the preemption.
What's the tipped wage in Raleigh?
$2.13/hour cash wage if tips bring the worker to $7.25/hour. This follows the FLSA tip credit (29 U.S.C. § 203(m)) and is mirrored in N.C.G.S. § 95-25.3(f).
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