Connecticut state overtime law mirrors the federal FLSA, so the weekly math is identical: 1.5x pay for hours over 40 in a workweek. Enter your rate and hours for an accurate Connecticut paycheck estimate.
Rules verified November 2026 · Sources: U.S. Department of Labor
By Mudassir Khan
Connecticut law mirrors the FLSA. Each workweek stands alone.
Unpaid overtime claims go to the Connecticut DOL Wage and Workplace Standards Division, within 2 years. Estimates only. Not tax, legal, or payroll advice. Confirm with your employer or a qualified professional.
Connecticut overtime follows the federal FLSA because state law mirrors it: nonexempt workers earn 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with no daily overtime. The 2026 minimum wage is $16.94 an hour. File unpaid overtime claims with the Connecticut DOL Wage and Workplace Standards Division within 2 years.
Connecticut never added a stricter overtime rule, so its statute mirrors the Fair Labor Standards Act: nonexempt employees earn at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The same math applies whether you rely on state or federal law.
Unlike some states, Connecticut has an agency for wage claims: the Wage and Workplace Standards Division of the Connecticut Department of Labor. File the claim within 2 years of the wages being owed, because the division investigates only the previous 2 years.
Connecticut indexes its minimum wage to the federal Employment Cost Index. It rose from $16.35 to $16.94 an hour on January 1, 2026, with another step to $17.48 announced for January 1, 2027. Overtime math for minimum wage workers now runs off the $16.94 base.
Gross = (40 × rate) + (hours over 40 × rate × 1.5)
| Rule | Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Overtime rule | Federal FLSA, mirrored by state law: 1.5 times pay after 40 hours in a workweek |
| Minimum wage 2026 | $16.94 from Jan 1, 2026 ($16.35 in 2025; tipped cash wage $6.38; $17.48 from Jan 1, 2027) |
| State income tax | Graduated, 2% to 6.99% |
| Claim agency | Connecticut DOL, Wage and Workplace Standards Division |
| Claim deadline | 2 years under Connecticut law; FLSA allows 3 years for willful violations |
| Worker | Math | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| $20/hr, 45 hours | $800 + 5 × $30 | $950.00 |
| $16.94/hr, 48 hours | $677.60 + 8 × $25.41 | $880.88 |
| $24/hr, 55 hours | $960 + 15 × $36 | $1,500.00 |
| $17/hr, four 10 hour days (40 hrs) | 40 × $17, no overtime | $680.00 |
Example 4 is the daily overtime trap: four 10 hour days earn zero overtime in Connecticut, even though the same schedule earns 8 overtime hours in California. Only the weekly 40 hour line counts here.
The 2 year investigation window. The Wage and Workplace Standards Division states that its investigations of unpaid wages are limited to the previous 2 years from the date you submit the complaint. Waiting does not just weaken a claim, it deletes the oldest weeks entirely.
Tipped workers keep the credit, with a floor. Connecticut allows a tip credit, but the tipped cash wage is $6.38 an hour and tips must bring total pay to $16.94 for every hour worked. Overtime for tipped workers is calculated on the full $16.94 based regular rate, not the $6.38 cash wage.
No daily overtime anywhere in the state. A single 12 hour shift earns nothing extra in Connecticut unless the week crosses 40 hours. If your employer spreads 40 hours over five 8 hour days, your check looks exactly like a 40 hour week.
Like Connecticut, New York pairs a high minimum wage with weekly only overtime math: our New York overtime calculator shows how the same FLSA formula behaves on a bigger wage floor. The federal baseline is explained in the FLSA overtime rules guide.
Yes, but it mirrors the FLSA rather than beating it: 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, for nonexempt employees. There is no daily overtime rule.
With the Wage and Workplace Standards Division of the Connecticut Department of Labor. File within 2 years of the wages being owed; federal court claims under the FLSA get 2 years, or 3 for willful violations.
$16.94 an hour from January 1, 2026, indexed to the Employment Cost Index. The tipped cash wage is $6.38 an hour, with tips required to reach $16.94. The rate rises to $17.48 on January 1, 2027.
No. Only the weekly 40 hour line matters. A long single day earns overtime only if it pushes the week over 40 hours total.
Yes. Connecticut has a graduated income tax from 2% to 6.99%, so overtime pay is taxed like any other wages. Federal income tax plus Social Security and Medicare taxes apply as well.
Yes, if nonexempt. A salary alone does not remove overtime rights. 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 Connecticut framing? Use the overtime pay calculator. Curious what the federal no tax on overtime deduction does to a Connecticut paycheck? Try the deduction calculator.