Connecticut labor laws for hourly staff: minimum wage, breaks and minors
Connecticut's basic minimum wage is $16.94 per hour, as listed by the US Department of Labor (updated November 5, 2026). The DOL meal-period table (revised January 1, 2023) lists a meal-period requirement for adult private-sector employees for Connecticut, and its rest-period table does not list a paid rest-period requirement (the DOL notes: states not listed do not require paid rest periods).
Connecticut labor rules at a glance
| Topic | What the US DOL table says for Connecticut | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $16.94 | November 5, 2026 |
| Overtime / premium pay | Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 In restaurants and hotel restaurants, for the 7th consecutive day of work, premium pay is required at time and one half the minimum rate. | November 5, 2026 |
| Meal break (adults) | See table below | January 1, 2023 |
| Paid rest break (adults) | Not listed; DOL: states not listed do not require paid rest periods | January 1, 2023 |
| Minors under 16: max hours | 8-40 during periods of school vacation of 5 days or more | July 15, 2025 |
| Minors 16–17: max hours | Enrolled in and not graduated from a secondary institution. 8-48-6, non-school days/weeks. 6-32 school day/week, in restaurant, recreational, amusement, theater, manufacturing, mechanical, retail, hairdressing, bowling alley, pool hall, or photography gallery establishments. Not enrolled in and not graduated from a secondary institution. 8-48-6 in retail/mercantile establishments. 9-48-6 in restaurant, manufacturing, mechanical, recreation, amusement and theater establishments | July 15, 2025 |
| Night work, under 16 | 7 p.m. (9 p.m. July 1 to the first Monday in September) to 7 a.m. | July 15, 2025 |
| Night work, 16–17 | 11 p.m. (midnight if school vacation, not prior to a school day, or not attending school) to 6 a.m. in restaurants, recreational, amusement and theater establishments. 10 p.m. (11 p.m. if school vacation, not prior to a school day, or not attending school; midnight in a supermarket of 3,500 square feet or more when no school the next day) to 6 a.m. in manufacturing, mechanical and retail establishments. 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in hairdressing, bowling alley, pool hall, or photography gallery establishments. | July 15, 2025 |
Minimum wage in Connecticut
Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $16.94
Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40
In restaurants and hotel restaurants, for the 7th consecutive day of work, premium pay is required at time and one half the minimum rate.
DOL footnote 1: The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
The DOL notes that some local governments set minimum wages higher than the state rate, and that subminimum or training rates are not shown in its table.
Meal breaks in Connecticut
| Rule | Prescribed by | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| ½ hour at some time after first 2 hours and before last 2 hours for employees who work 7½ consecutive hours or more. | Statute | Excludes certain professional employees certified by the State Board of Education, and any employer who provides 30 or more total minutes of paid rest or meal periods within each 7½ hour work period. Meal period requirement does not alter or impair collective bargaining agreement in effect on 7/1/90, or prevent a different schedule by written employer/employee agreement. |
DOL footnote 3/: Not displayed in table are exemptions for executive, administrative and professional employees, and for outside salespersons.
Rest breaks in Connecticut
Connecticut is not listed in the DOL table of paid rest-period requirements (revised January 1, 2023). The DOL table states: "States not listed do not require paid rest periods."
Scheduling minors in Connecticut
Hours notation is the DOL's: daily-weekly-days per week (for example 8-40-6). Where state law is less restrictive than federal law, federal law applies; where it is more restrictive, state law applies (29 U.S.C. 218(a), as quoted by the DOL).
| Age | Maximum hours | Night work prohibited |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 8-40 during periods of school vacation of 5 days or more | 7 p.m. (9 p.m. July 1 to the first Monday in September) to 7 a.m. |
| 16 and 17 | Enrolled in and not graduated from a secondary institution. 8-48-6, non-school days/weeks. 6-32 school day/week, in restaurant, recreational, amusement, theater, manufacturing, mechanical, retail, hairdressing, bowling alley, pool hall, or photography gallery establishments. Not enrolled in and not graduated from a secondary institution. 8-48-6 in retail/mercantile establishments. 9-48-6 in restaurant, manufacturing, mechanical, recreation, amusement and theater establishments | 11 p.m. (midnight if school vacation, not prior to a school day, or not attending school) to 6 a.m. in restaurants, recreational, amusement and theater establishments. 10 p.m. (11 p.m. if school vacation, not prior to a school day, or not attending school; midnight in a supermarket of 3,500 square feet or more when no school the next day) to 6 a.m. in manufacturing, mechanical and retail establishments. 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in hairdressing, bowling alley, pool hall, or photography gallery establishments. |
DOL table footnotes: (a) State hours limitations on a school day and in a school week usually apply only to those enrolled in school. (b) Students of 14 and 15 enrolled in approved Work Experience and Career Exploration programs may work during school hours up to 3 hours on a school day and 23 hours in a school week. (c) Combined hours of work and school.
A blank cell is blank on the DOL table. The federal (FLSA) row of the same DOL table, for minors under 16: 3 hours on a school day and 18 in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 in a non-school week, and no work from 7 p.m. (9 p.m. June 1 through Labor Day) to 7 a.m.
Tools: overtime calculator · labor cost calculator · all states
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your state labor department for current rules.
Questions
What is the minimum wage in Connecticut?
The US DOL lists Connecticut's basic minimum rate as $16.94 per hour (updated November 5, 2026). Some cities and counties set higher local rates.
Does Connecticut require meal breaks for adults?
Yes, the DOL meal-period table (revised January 1, 2023) lists a requirement for Connecticut; see the table on this page.
Does Connecticut require paid rest breaks?
No. Connecticut is not in the DOL paid rest-period table, which states that states not listed do not require paid rest periods.
Sources
- US DOL, Overtime Pay (checked 2026-11-12)
- State Minimum Wage Laws (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector 1 (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- Selected State Child Labor Standards Affecting Minors Under 18 in Non-farm Employment as of July 15, 2025 (US DOL) (checked 2026-11-12)
- US DOL, Breaks and Meal Periods (checked 2026-11-12)