Wage Law Guides
Long-form, evidence-based guides on US wage law. The 2026 state minimum wage map, the federal $2.13 tipped wage and the 7 states that eliminated it, FLSA overtime rules and commonly misclassified jobs, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage for federal projects, and the gap between the federal minimum and the MIT living wage.
State Minimum Wage in 2026: The Map Nobody Shows You
A complete state-by-state minimum wage map for 2026, including federal floor, state laws, city minimums, tipped wages, and upcoming scheduled increases.
The Tipped Wage Loophole: Why Your Server Earns $2.13/hr Federally
The federal $2.13 tipped wage explained, the 7 states that eliminated it, the IRS tip reporting rules, and the credit card tip processing fees that workers often absorb.
Overtime Rules Explained: FLSA Exempt vs Non-Exempt
How federal overtime rules work, the 2026 salary threshold, the duties test, commonly misclassified jobs, and why "comp time" is illegal in the private sector.
Prevailing Wage and Davis-Bacon: The Forgotten $10/hr Bump
How the Davis-Bacon Act sets prevailing wages for federal construction projects, state equivalents, how to find the rate for your trade, and what to do if your employer underpays.
Living Wage vs Minimum Wage: The $13 Gap MIT Calculated
How MIT calculates the living wage by family size and region, how it compares to actual minimum wages, and why minimum wage is not designed to cover basic needs.
Look up wage data
- Browse jobs → wage data by occupation
- Browse cities → wage data by metro
- Compare locations → side-by-side wage comparison