Arkansas has no overtime rule beyond the federal FLSA, so federal law decides your pay. Enter your rate and hours for an accurate Arkansas paycheck estimate: 1.5x after 40 hours a week, no daily overtime rule.
Rules verified November 2026 · Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing
By Mudassir Khan
Arkansas has no overtime rule beyond the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Nonexempt Arkansas workers earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with no daily overtime rule. The 2026 minimum wage is $11.00 an hour, and wage claims go to the Arkansas Division of Labor with a 2 year filing window.
Federal FLSA rules, Arkansas framing. Each workweek stands alone.
Arkansas wage claims go to the Division of Labor, with a 2 year filing window. Estimates only. Not tax, legal, or payroll advice. Confirm with your employer or a qualified professional.
Arkansas never created a stricter overtime rule. The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act mirrors the federal line: nonexempt employees earn at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, and no Arkansas rule adds daily overtime on top.
The Division of Labor inside the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing accepts wage claims for minimum wage and overtime violations. The assessment period covers the 2 years before you file, so an early claim preserves more back pay.
Arkansas voters raised the minimum wage in steps to $11.00 an hour in 2021, and the measure included no inflation indexing. The floor stays $11.00 through 2026, with a $2.63 cash wage for tipped workers.
Gross = (40 × rate) + (hours over 40 × rate × 1.5)
| Rule | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Overtime rule | Federal FLSA only: 1.5 times pay after 40 hours in a workweek (the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act mirrors it) |
| Minimum wage 2026 | $11.00 an hour (tipped cash wage $2.63; unchanged since 2021) |
| State income tax | Graduated, top 3.7% in 2026 (cut May 2026, retroactive to January 1) |
| Claim agency | Arkansas Division of Labor, Department of Labor and Licensing |
| Claim deadline | 2 years from when the wages were due |
| Worker | Math | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| $11/hr, 48 hours | $440 + 8 × $16.50 | $572.00 |
| $20/hr, 45 hours | $800 + 5 × $30 | $950.00 |
| $16/hr, 55 hours | $640 + 15 × $24 | $1,000.00 |
| $13/hr, 60 hours | $520 + 20 × $19.50 | $910.00 |
Example 1 runs off the 2026 minimum wage: at $11 an hour, 48 hours pays $440 in regular pay plus 8 overtime hours at $16.50. The same week in California would also earn 8 overtime hours, because the weekly 40 hour line is the one that matters in both states.
The 3.7% top tax rate helps overtime keep its value. A May 2026 special session cut Arkansas's top individual income tax rate to 3.7%, retroactive to January 1, 2026. Overtime pay is taxed like any other wage income, so the lower top rate leaves a little more of every premium hour in the paycheck.
Payday comes at least twice a month. Arkansas requires employers to pay wages at least twice a month, so an overtime dispute rarely waits long for a resolution on the calendar. Track each pay period separately, because the overtime math resets every workweek.
The 2 year window runs from your filing date. The Division of Labor looks back 2 years from the day you file, not from the day the problem started. If you suspect underpayment, filing early is what keeps the oldest weeks inside the window.
Like Arkansas, Oklahoma runs on federal overtime law alone: our Oklahoma overtime calculator shows the same math in a different state, and the Mississippi overtime calculator covers a state with no wage agency at all. The federal baseline is explained in the FLSA overtime rules guide.
The Arkansas Minimum Wage Act mirrors the federal rule: 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, for nonexempt employees. Arkansas adds no daily overtime and no stricter weekly rule.
With the Division of Labor inside the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, or in court. The assessment period covers the 2 years before you file.
$11.00 an hour, unchanged since 2021, with a $2.63 cash wage for tipped workers. There is no inflation indexing.
No. Only the weekly 40 hour line matters: hours over 40 in a workweek earn 1.5 times the regular rate, no matter how long any single day was.
Yes, as ordinary wage income. The top individual rate is 3.7% in 2026 after the May special session cut, applied retroactively to January 1.
Yes, if nonexempt. A salary alone does not remove overtime rights in Arkansas. Only employees who pass the FLSA exempt duties and salary tests can be denied overtime pay.
Rates and rules checked against these sources in November 2026.
Want the same math without the Arkansas framing? Use the overtime pay calculator. Curious what the no tax on overtime deduction does to an Arkansas paycheck? Try the deduction calculator, with the state top rate now 3.7%, the federal deduction carries more weight here than it used to.