Rhode Island pays 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with no daily overtime rule. The 2026 minimum wage is $16 an hour, rising to $17 in 2027. Enter your rate and hours for a Rhode Island paycheck estimate.
Rules verified November 2026 · Sources: U.S. Department of Labor and Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
By Mudassir Khan
Rhode Island weekly 40 hour test. Each workweek stands alone.
Rhode Island wage claims must be filed with the director within 3 years. Estimates only. Not tax, legal, or payroll advice. Confirm with your employer or a qualified professional.
Rhode Island requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, with no daily overtime rule.
The minimum wage reached $16.00 on January 1, 2026 and is already scheduled to hit $17.00 on January 1, 2027. Tipped workers get a $3.89 cash wage with tips making up the rest.
Certain retail workers earn premium pay for Sunday and holiday work under a separate state rule. It sits on top of the weekly overtime math, so track both.
Gross = (40 × rate) + (hours over 40 × rate × 1.5)
| Rule | Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Overtime rule | 1.5 times pay after 40 hours in a workweek (no daily overtime) |
| Minimum wage 2026 | $16.00 from Jan 1, 2026 ($17.00 scheduled for 2027; tipped cash wage $3.89) |
| State income tax | Graduated, up to 5.99% |
| Claim agency | Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Labor Standards |
| Claim deadline | 3 years to file with the director (§28-14-20) |
| Worker | Math | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| $16/hr, 50 hours | $640 + 10 × $24 | $880.00 |
| $20/hr, 46 hours | $800 + 6 × $30 | $980.00 |
| $30/hr, 52 hours | $1,200 + 12 × $45 | $1,740.00 |
| $16/hr, 40 hours in four 10 hour days | 40 × $16, no overtime | $640.00 |
Example 4 is the Rhode Island trap: the same four 10 hour days would earn 8 overtime hours in California. In Rhode Island they earn none under the weekly test, because only hours over 40 count.
Sunday and holiday premium pay. Rhode Island is unusual: certain retail employees earn 1.5 times pay for Sunday and holiday hours. This is separate from weekly overtime, so a Sunday shift can earn premium pay even in a 40 hour week.
Written wage notice at hire. Since January 1, 2026, every newly hired Rhode Island employee must get a written notice covering pay rate, deductions, payday, and exempt status. Keep yours; it settles most pay disputes before they start.
Weekly pay requirement. Rhode Island generally requires weekly pay, so overtime shows up on your next check instead of waiting out a long pay period.
Rhode Island’s New England neighbors use the same weekly overtime test: our Vermont overtime calculator, New Hampshire overtime calculator, and Maine overtime calculator show the math across the region. The federal baseline is explained in the FLSA overtime rules guide.
Rhode Island follows the weekly overtime test: 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, for nonexempt employees, with no daily overtime rule. It also has separate Sunday and holiday premium pay for certain retail workers.
$16.00 an hour from January 1, 2026, scheduled to rise to $17.00 on January 1, 2027. The tipped cash wage is $3.89 an hour.
With the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Labor Standards, or with the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, or in court. Claims must be filed with the director within 3 years.
No. Rhode Island has no daily overtime rule. Only the weekly line matters: hours over 40 in a workweek earn 1.5 times the regular rate, no matter how long any single day was.
Yes. Rhode Island has a graduated income tax up to 5.99%, so overtime pay is taxed by the state on top of federal income tax plus Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Yes, if nonexempt. A salary alone does not remove overtime rights in Rhode Island. Only employees who pass the 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 Rhode Island framing? Use the overtime pay calculator. Curious what the no tax on overtime deduction does to a Rhode Island paycheck? Try the deduction calculator; it trims the federal bite on the overtime premium.