How to use the minimum wage shortfall calculator
Enter the hours you worked in a pay period, the total pay you received for it, and the minimum wage that applies where you work. The calculator divides pay by hours to get your effective rate, compares it with the legal floor, and shows the unpaid back wages plus the matching amount that federal law allows on top.
Legal basis (as of September 2026) — the Fair Labor Standards Act sets the federal minimum wage at $7.25 an hour under 29 U.S.C. §206(a), unchanged since July 2009. Where a state or city minimum is higher, the higher rate governs under §218(a), so enter that figure instead. Section 216(b) lets an employee recover the unpaid wages and an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, and §255(a) gives two years to sue, extended to three for a willful violation.
Tipped employees follow a different structure: a cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour is permitted under §203(m) only if tips bring the total to the full minimum, and the employer must make up any gap. Training wages for workers under 20 and overtime premiums are also calculated separately.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Whether liquidated damages are awarded is up to the court. Consult a licensed attorney or the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division about your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whichever is highest among the federal, state, and local rates. The FLSA floor is $7.25 under 29 U.S.C. §206(a), and §218(a) preserves any higher state or city rate, so enter that number if your area has one.
Under 29 U.S.C. §216(b) an employee who wins an unpaid wage claim may recover the unpaid wages plus an equal additional amount. A court can reduce it if the employer shows it acted in good faith.
Section 255(a) gives two years from the underpayment, extended to three years if the violation was willful. Each pay period generally has its own deadline.