Texas Wage and Hour Laws

By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Chris Meyers, Esq. | Last reviewed January 24, 2023

A state's wage and hour laws determine the baseline wages that an employer must pay their employees under the law. Wage and hour laws include state minimum wage laws and overtime laws and violations of these laws could lead to significant administrative or judicial penalties for employers.

Texas law generally aligns the Texas minimum wage with the federal minimum wage (for non-exempt employees), but it also requires employers to provide written earnings statements and allows for the recovery of attorney's fees for civil actions to recover lost wages.

Texas Employment Law at a Glance

Reading through dense statutes and understanding everything contained in them can be difficult without consulting with an attorney. However, you can get started with an introduction to the law with a plain language guide. See the chart below for a brief synopsis of Texas labor laws.

Statutes	Texas Labor Code: Section 61.053 (bad faith; administrative penalty) Section 62.051 (minimum wage) Section 62.201 (civil penalty) Section 62.0515 (application of minimum wage to certain governmental entities) Section 62.052 (tipped employees) Section 62.154 (domestic employment) Section 62.156 (employment of inmates) Section 207.049 (receipt of remuneration)
Minimum Wage	Minimum Wage Amount The minimum wage in Texas is $7.25, consistent with the federal minimum wage rate. Employer Exemptions The following employers are exempt from the minimum wage: Employers that employ individuals who provide domestic services, including care of a minor in or outside of employer's home; Employers that employ domestic employees living in a private residence while providing domestic care for a resident of the home; Specific amusement and recreational businesses specified in the statute; Employers that employ inmates; Employers that employ family members; and Employers engaged in specific types of production of livestock or dairy farming.
Overtime Pay	The State of Texas and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) follow the federal law and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and doesn't have its own state laws for overtime. Employers must pay their employees overtime pay for the number of hours worked over 40 during a workweek. The law mandates that overtime hours be paid at no less than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay. The only employees that shouldn't receive overtime pay are those that are exempt; exempt employees are strictly defined by the Department of Labor and include employees like certain commissioned positions, teachers, and certain executives and professionals. The overtime laws in Texas don't have any provisions for holiday pay or or paid time off. Some companies pay their employees time and a half for working on federal holidays, but this varies, depending on the company.
Final Pay-Severance Benefits	In Texas, severance pay is not owed to employees unless it was promised to the employee in a written policy. Employees can receive the post-termination pay in either installments or a lump sum final paycheck, depending on what the employer decides.

Note: State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.