Wage-and-hour ground rules for hotel and hospitality employers in Oregon — minimum wage, tipped-employee rules, overtime, breaks, premium pay, and the hotel-specific obligations that apply on top. General minimum and tipped wage rates were reviewed on October 18, 2026; effective dates and source-specific rule updates appear below.
Rate review: October 18, 2026. Apply the rate for the work date, location, occupation, and employer tier. The linked statutes, rules, and agency guidance control the coverage and exceptions. How we verify →
Minimum wage#
The Oregon minimum wage is $15.55 per hour at the standard rate from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Oregon has three state-set regional rates under ORS 653.025: $16.80 within the Portland metropolitan urban growth boundary, $15.55 in standard-rate areas, and $14.55 in the 18 designated nonurban counties. The standard rate is adjusted each July 1 for inflation; Portland is $1.25 above it and the nonurban rate is $1.00 below it.
| New rate | Effective | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| $15.55 | July 1, 2026 |
Regional minimum wages in Oregon#
| Jurisdiction | Rate | Tipped cash | Effective | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland metro (within urban growth boundary) | $16.80 | $16.80 | July 1, 2026 | State-set regional rate, not a city ordinance (local rates are preempted). Effective July 1, 2026. Covers UGB portions of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. |
| Nonurban counties | $14.55 | $14.55 | July 1, 2026 | State-set regional rate effective July 1, 2026. Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wheeler counties. |
Preemption Oregon preempts local minimum wage ordinances — cities and counties cannot set their own general wage floors.
Tipped employees & tip pooling#
Oregon does not allow a tip credit — tipped employees must receive the full minimum wage of $15.55 in direct cash wages before tips. ORS 653.035(3): tip credit prohibited — employers must pay the full applicable regional minimum wage before tips. Cash minimum equals the regional minimum wage ($16.80 Portland metro / $14.55 nonurban from 7/1/2026 through 6/30/2027).
Tip pooling#
Tip pools permitted; because Oregon bars any tip credit, employer-mandated pools may include back-of-house employees, but employers, managers, and supervisors may not retain tips (FLSA §3(m)(2)(B); BOLI guidance). (29 U.S.C. §203(m)(2)(B))
See the federal baseline rules in our tip credit and tip pooling briefs — the stricter of federal or Oregon law controls.
Overtime#
Overtime is due after 40 hours in a workweek. 1.5× over 40 hrs/week (ORS 653.261). Oregon's daily overtime statute (ORS 652.020) applies only to mills, factories, and manufacturing — it does NOT apply to hotels.
Run the math — including the tipped-overtime trap — with the tipped overtime calculator.
Meal & rest breaks#
Meal breaks: A 30-minute meal period relieved of all duties is required for work periods of 6–8 hours; longer periods follow the OAR table. For a work period of seven hours or less, take the meal after the second hour and finish it before the fifth hour begins. For a longer work period, take it after the third hour and finish before the sixth hour begins. If the employee is not relieved of all duties for 30 continuous minutes, pay the entire meal period; the rule contains specific exceptions and a limited voluntary tipped-food-service waiver. (OAR 839-020-0050)
Rest breaks: Paid 10-minute rest period for every 4-hour segment (or major part) worked, as close to the midpoint as practicable; rest breaks may not be waived or combined with meal periods except in narrow cases. (OAR 839-020-0050)
Premium for missed breaks: No statutory hour-of-pay premium; missed breaks expose employers to BOLI penalties and wage claims for unpaid time.
Scheduling & premium pay#
- Reporting-time pay: None required by state law.
- Split-shift premium: None.
- Spread of hours: None.
Service charges & gratuities#
Oregon has no service-charge-specific statute — the federal tip/service-charge line (and IRS treatment) controls. Background: service charges, auto-gratuities & resort fees.
Pay administration#
- Pay frequency: Regular paydays at intervals not exceeding 35 days (ORS 652.120). Final pay: discharge — by end of next business day (ORS 652.140); quit with 48+ hours' notice — final day; quit without notice — within 5 business days or next regular payday, whichever is first. Penalty wages up to 30 days for willful nonpayment (ORS 652.150).
- Wage statements: Detailed itemized pay statements required each payday (rates, hours, gross/net, deductions, employer info); employees may inspect pay records. (ORS 652.610)
- Exempt salary floor: $684.00/week (federal) — Oregon has no state EAP salary threshold above the federal $684/week (2024 federal increase vacated Nov. 2024, Texas v. DOL). Oregon exempt employees must still be paid at least minimum wage for all hours.
- Lodging credit: Fair market value of lodging/meals furnished for the private benefit of the employee may count toward minimum wage (ORS 653.035(1)); deductions must be voluntary and properly recorded — common issue for resort employee housing.
Statewide predictive scheduling / fair workweek law (ORS 653.412-653.485) covers HOSPITALITY (including hotels), retail, and food service employers with 500+ employees worldwide: written good-faith schedule estimate at hire, 14 days' advance posted schedules, predictability pay for employer-initiated changes, right to rest (10 hours) between closing and opening shifts with time-and-a-half for consented 'clopening' hours, and a voluntary standby list. Oregon preempts local minimum wage and scheduling ordinances (ORS 653.017; ORS 653.442), so the three regional rates are the only variation. Manufacturing daily OT does not apply to hotels.
Sources and further reading#
Government agencies and official publishers appear first. Independently hosted legal texts and secondary reporting are identified separately below.
Official sources
- Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI)
- BOLI — Oregon minimum wage (accessed 2026-06-12)
- BOLI — Minimum wage increase schedule (accessed 2026-06-12)
- BOLI — meals and breaks (timing windows by work-period length) (accessed 2026-06-12)
- Oregon Secretary of State — OAR 839-020-0050, meal and rest periods (reviewed 2026-10-18)
Legal text on other sites
- OAR 839-020-0050 — meal and rest periods (Oregon Public Law) (accessed 2026-06-12)
- Maza v. Waterford Operations, LLC, 300 Or App 471 (2019) (Justia) (accessed 2026-06-12)
Additional reporting and commentary
- Barran Liebman — New Oregon minimum wage rates effective July 1, 2026 (accessed 2026-06-12)