Wage-and-hour ground rules for hotel and hospitality employers in Wyoming — minimum wage, tipped-employee rules, overtime, breaks, premium pay, and the hotel-specific obligations that apply on top. Figures below were last reviewed on June 12, 2026; most rates adjust annually.
Verified as of June 12, 2026 — every figure on this page was checked against the official sources listed at the bottom on that date. How we verify →
Minimum wage#
The Wyoming minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009. Shown: the federal $7.25 floor, which governs virtually all hotel employers through FLSA enterprise coverage. Wyoming's own statutory minimum (Wyo. Stat. §27-4-202) is $5.15 and applies only to the rare employer outside FLSA coverage.
Tipped employees & tip pooling#
Wyoming allows a tip credit: employers may pay tipped employees a cash wage of $2.13 and claim up to $5.12 per hour in tips toward the minimum wage. State law: tipped employee = more than $30/month in tips; tips plus cash wage must reach the applicable minimum. FLSA conditions (notice, retention of tips) apply to covered hotels. State tipped cash wage is $2.13 against the $5.15 state rate; for FLSA-covered hotels the federal structure ($2.13 cash / $5.12 credit to reach $7.25) controls.
Tip pooling#
No state pooling statute; FLSA governs — valid pools among tipped staff, managers/supervisors excluded, BOH only when no tip credit is taken. (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 Wyoming law controls.
Overtime#
Overtime is due after 40 hours in a workweek. No general state overtime law for private employers; FLSA 1.5× over 40 applies. Note FLSA §13(b)/seasonal-amusement questions for park-gateway seasonal operations.
Run the math — including the tipped-overtime trap — with the tipped overtime calculator.
Meal & rest breaks#
Meal breaks: Not required by Wyoming law for adult employees. Federal law requires only that breaks under 20 minutes, if offered, be paid.
Rest breaks: Not required by Wyoming law.
Scheduling & premium pay#
- Reporting-time pay: None required by state law.
- Split-shift premium: None.
- Spread of hours: None.
Service charges & gratuities#
Wyoming 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: Semimonthly pay is required for enumerated industries (railroads, mines, refineries, factories, oil/gas) under Wyo. Stat. §27-4-101; no general statutory frequency for hotels — pay on regularly designated paydays and observe §27-4-104 final-pay timing (low confidence on hotel coverage; treat semimonthly as best practice).
- Wage statements: No general pay-stub statute identified; itemized deduction records are required to support lawful deductions, and FLSA recordkeeping applies.
- Exempt salary floor: $684.00/week (federal) — Federal $684/week applies.
- Lodging credit: FLSA §3(m) reasonable-cost rules apply — heavily used for employee housing at Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton gateway properties; keep cost records and voluntary written agreements.
No express local-wage preemption statute identified, and no Wyoming municipality (including Jackson, despite resort-wage pressure) has adopted a local minimum wage — treat preemption status as untested. Seasonal J-1/H-2B staffing at park-gateway hotels raises FLSA deduction and housing-credit issues more than state-law issues.
Official sources#
- WY Dept. of Workforce Services — Labor Standards
- WY DWS — Labor Standards (accessed 2026-06-12)
- Horton Group — State minimum wage rates 2026 (cross-check $5.15/federal $7.25) (accessed 2026-06-12)