As of January 1, 2023, the minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour. This matches the federal minimum wage rate for non-tipped employees. However, there are exceptions to this minimum wage rate, such as tipped employees who have a state minimum wage of $2.13 per hour as long as the hourly wage and tips together meet the minimum wage. Full-time students, learners, and apprentices may also be paid a subminimum wage rate that is no less than 90 percent of the state’s standard minimum wage. It is important to note that counties, cities, and towns may have their own minimum wage laws, so it is important to check what local wage laws may apply.

North Carolina last raised its state minimum wage in 2008, when it increased $0.70, from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. There have been proposals to increase the minimum wage in North Carolina, but as of now, the minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour. It is worth noting that the living wage for a single adult with no children in North Carolina is $17.14, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator.