Greensboro, NC Employment Preemption: Minimum Wage Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- State Statute
- NCGS 95-25.1
- Minimum Wage
- $7.25 federal floor
- Tipped Wage
- $2.13 base
- Last Raise
- 2009 federal
Summary
Greensboro cannot set its own minimum wage because North Carolina General Statute 95-25.1 preempts local wage ordinances. The state minimum tracks the federal floor of 7.25 dollars per hour, and only the legislature in Raleigh can raise it.
§ 95-25.1. Short title and legislative purpose; local governments preempted.
(a) This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "Wage and Hour Act."
(b) The public policy of this State is declared as follows: The wage levels of employees, hours of labor, payment of earned wages, and the well-being of minors are subjects of concern requiring legislation to promote the general welfare of the people of the State without jeopardizing the competitive position of North Carolina business and industry. The General Assembly declares that the general welfare of the State requires the enactment of this law under the police power of the State.
(d) The provisions of this Article supersede and preempt any ordinance, regulation, resolution, or policy adopted or imposed by a unit of local government or other political subdivision of the State that regulates or imposes any requirement upon an employer pertaining to compensation of employees, such as the wage levels of employees, hours of labor, payment of earned wages, benefits, leave, or well-being of minors in the workforce. This subsection shall not apply to any of the following:
(1) A local government regulating, compensating, or controlling its own employees.
(2) Economic development incentives awarded under Chapter 143B of the General Statutes.
(3) Economic development incentives awarded under Article 1 of Chapter 158 of the General Statutes.
(4) A requirement of federal community development block grants.
(5) Programs established under G.S. 160D-1311.
Full Breakdown
NCGS 95-25.1 expressly prohibits North Carolina cities and counties from establishing minimum wages for private-sector employers higher than the state minimum. The state minimum is set at the federal level of 7.25 dollars per hour and has not been raised since 2009. Greensboro pays its own employees above that as a matter of city policy, but cannot impose the same on private businesses. Tipped workers receive 2.13 dollars base with tip credit. Past efforts in cities like Charlotte and Asheville to enact local wage floors were blocked by the preemption statute.
Violations & Fines
Local wage ordinances would be unenforceable under NCGS 95-25.1, and federal and state Department of Labor agencies enforce the 7.25-dollar floor with back-pay and liquidated-damages remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Greensboro raise the minimum wage on its own?
Does Greensboro pay city employees more than minimum wage?
Sources & Official References
- [1]NCGS 95-25.1
Other rules in Greensboro
Compare Greensboro to another location·View the North Carolina employment preemption overview
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