Wisconsin's minimum wage matches the federal $7.25 per hour. Wis. Stat. 104.001 (2017 Act 21) preempts Madison and other cities from setting any higher local minimum wage.
Wisconsin's general minimum wage under Wis. Stat. Ch. 104 is $7.25 per hour, identical to the federal floor and unchanged since 2009. The tipped wage is $2.33 per hour as long as tips bring earnings to at least the full minimum. In 2017, Act 21 amended Wis. Stat. 104.001 to expressly bar Wisconsin counties, cities, villages, and towns from establishing any higher minimum wage, including living wage ordinances applicable to private employers. Madison's prior city living-wage requirements now apply only to its own employees and direct contractors. UW-Madison and state agencies operate under separate state pay structures.
Employers paying below $7.25 face state Department of Workforce Development complaints, back-wage liability, and federal FLSA penalties. Madison cannot enforce a higher local floor on private employers.
See how Madison's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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