Wages

You have the right to be paid fairly for all the work you do. No one should work without pay, be underpaid, or have wages withheld. Whether you are paid hourly, daily, or by the job, U.S. labor laws protect your right to fair compensation.

Minimum Wage Laws
Most workers are legally entitled to earn at least the federal or state minimum wage depending on whichever is higher. In Arizona, the state minimum wage in 2025 is $14.70 per hour. This applies to most jobs, including full-time, part-time, and temporary work. Some cities in Arizona have adopted their own higher local minimum wage laws:

Flagstaff: $17.85 per hour
Tucson: $15.00 per hour

If you work in one of these cities, your employer must pay you the higher local wage, even if they are based elsewhere.

What Counts as Work?

You should be paid for all hours worked, including:

• Time spent setting up or cleaning up job sites
• Mandatory meetings or training
• Waiting time, if required to stay on-site
• Overtime, if you work more than 40 hours in a week (in most cases)

If You're Not Being Paid Properly

Wage theft is illegal. This includes:

• Not being paid minimum wage
• Being denied overtime pay
• Having your tips taken by an employer
• Being paid late or not at all

You may be entitled to overtime pay of one and a half times the amount of your hourly wage for any hours worked over 40 hours per week. For example, if your regular wage rate is $10 per hour, your employer may be required to pay you $15 for each hour you work above 40 hours in a single week. If your employer takes money from your paycheck, this is called a deduction. Your employer must clearly identify for you each deduction taken from your paycheck. Deductions may be illegal if you are left with less than the legally required wage rate after the deduction. An employer usually may not deduct for the cost of uniforms, safety equipment, required tools, supplies, equipment or recruitment fees.