What is the current minimum wage in Arkansas?

Arkansas's state minimum wage is $11.00 per hour as of 2024. This rate was established through Act 315 of 2019, which phased the minimum up from $8.50 in 2019 through a series of annual increases. Because $11.00 exceeds the federal floor of $7.25, the Arkansas rate is the one that applies to most workers in the state.

Is Arkansas minimum wage higher than the federal minimum?

Yes. The federal minimum wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is $7.25/hr and has not changed since 2009. Arkansas's state minimum of $11.00/hr is $3.75 higher, which adds up to $7,800 per year for a full-time worker at exactly 40 hours per week compared to working in a state that only follows the federal floor.

How is overtime calculated in Arkansas?

Under the FLSA, any hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek must be paid at a rate of at least 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. If your hourly wage is $11.00, your overtime rate is $16.50. The calculator splits your weekly hours into regular (0-40 h) and overtime (above 40 h) and applies the correct multiplier to each portion automatically.

Does the calculator include tax deductions?

No. The calculator shows gross pay only — the amount before any deductions. Actual take-home pay depends on federal income tax withholding, Arkansas state income tax (rates range from 2% to 4.7% depending on income bracket for 2024), Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and any voluntary deductions such as health insurance or retirement contributions. Use a dedicated payroll calculator or consult a tax professional for net pay figures.

Are all Arkansas employers required to pay the $11.00 minimum?

Most are, but there are exemptions. Employers with fewer than four employees are not covered by the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act, though they may still be subject to FLSA at the $7.25 federal rate. Certain tipped employees, full-time students, learners and workers with disabilities may be eligible for lower sub-minimum rates under specific certificates. When in doubt, contact the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.

How does the monthly figure get calculated?

Monthly gross pay is derived by multiplying the weekly gross by 52 (weeks per year) and dividing by 12 (months per year), giving approximately 4.333 weeks per month. This is the standard payroll convention. It means a month shown here is a calendar-average month, not exactly four or five specific weeks, which is why monthly figures may differ slightly from a simple four-week multiplication.

Arkansas Minimum Wage Calculator

The Arkansas minimum wage calculator lets you see exactly what a job paying $11.00 an hour — or any other rate — is worth in weekly, monthly and annual gross pay. It handles overtime automatically and compares your earnings to the federal minimum wage floor, so you always know how Arkansas’s state law affects your paycheck.

How it works

Arkansas sets its own minimum wage above the federal floor. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires all covered employers nationwide to pay at least $7.25 per hour, but Arkansas’s state law — Act 315 of 2019 — phases the state minimum to $11.00 per hour as of 2024. Because the state rate is higher, it applies to most Arkansas workers.

The calculator uses three core formulas:

Regular weekly pay = regular hours (up to 40) × hourly rate

Overtime weekly pay = overtime hours (above 40) × hourly rate × 1.5

Annual gross = weekly gross × 52

Monthly gross uses the standard payroll convention of 52 ÷ 12 ≈ 4.333 weeks per month, giving a calendar-average figure rather than a simple four-week estimate.

Worked example

Suppose Maria works 45 hours a week at Arkansas’s $11.00 minimum wage:

Regular pay: 40 h × $11.00 = $440.00
Overtime pay: 5 h × $16.50 (1.5×) = $82.50
Weekly gross: $522.50
Monthly gross: $522.50 × (52/12) = $2,264.17
Annual gross: $522.50 × 52 = $27,170.00

At the federal minimum of $7.25, the same schedule would yield $17,907.50 per year — Arkansas’s higher rate adds $9,262.50 annually.

For a standard 40-hour week at exactly $11.00:

Period	Gross pay
Weekly	$440.00
Monthly	$1,906.67
Annual	$22,880.00

Arkansas minimum wage vs federal minimum wage

Arkansas’s $11.00 rate sits $3.75 above the $7.25 federal floor. For a full-time worker clocking 40 hours every week, that gap is worth $7,800 per year — real money that goes directly toward rent, groceries, childcare and savings. States that have not enacted their own minimum wage laws default to the federal $7.25, making Arkansas a meaningfully better-paid state for low-wage workers.

Overtime rules in Arkansas

FLSA overtime rules apply across the United States: any hours over 40 in a single workweek must be paid at 1.5× the regular rate. There is no daily overtime threshold under federal law (some states have daily OT — Arkansas does not). If your employer asks you to work 50 hours one week, the extra 10 hours are overtime regardless of how the hours are distributed across days.

The calculator shows both the overtime rate and the overtime dollar total separately in the breakdown table, so you can see at a glance how much of your weekly gross comes from regular time versus overtime.

Note on taxes and take-home pay

This tool calculates gross pay — the amount before deductions. Your actual take-home pay will be lower after:

Federal income tax (withholding depends on your W-4 elections and filing status)
Arkansas state income tax (graduated rates up to 4.7% for 2024)
Social Security (6.2% on earnings up to the annual wage base)
Medicare (1.45% with no cap)
Any voluntary deductions (health insurance, 401k, etc.)

For a precise net pay figure, use your employer’s payroll software or consult the IRS withholding estimator.

Every calculation in this tool runs entirely in your browser. No figures are ever sent to a server or stored anywhere.