Minimum Wage Compliance Checker
Enter your piece rate, daily output, and state to instantly check if your workers' earnings meet minimum wage requirements — and see exactly how much make-up pay you owe if they don't.
How This Calculator Works
Select your state from the dropdown, then enter the piece rate, units completed per day, hours per day, and days per week. The tool checks compliance automatically.
You'll see the worker's effective hourly rate, whether it meets your state's minimum wage, and — if it falls short — the exact shortfall per hour and per week you'd owe in make-up pay.
Piece rate workers must still earn at least minimum wage for every hour worked. This tool catches compliance gaps before they turn into DOL audits or wage claims.
Check Compliance
Select the state where work is performed
Amount earned per unit completed
Average pieces completed in a workday
Your results will appear here
Enter your piece rate details to check if you meet minimum wage requirements.
Why Minimum Wage Compliance Matters
Piece rate pay is legal and effective — but only if workers earn at least minimum wage for every hour worked. Here's why you need to check.
Stay FLSA Compliant
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that piece rate workers earn at least minimum wage for all hours worked. This tool checks that for you instantly.
Avoid Costly Penalties
DOL wage violations can result in back pay, liquidated damages, and fines. Catch shortfalls before they become lawsuits.
State-by-State Rates
Minimum wage varies by state. This tool uses current rates for all 50 states plus D.C. so you're checking against the right number.
How Piece Rate Minimum Wage Works
Under the FLSA, employers who pay piece rates must ensure that workers earn at least the applicable minimum wage for every hour worked. Here's the math:
Step 1: Calculate Total Piece Rate Earnings
Add up all the pieces completed during the workweek and multiply by the piece rate. This gives you the worker's total gross earnings for the week.
Step 2: Divide by Total Hours Worked
Take the total piece rate earnings and divide by the total hours worked that week. This gives you the worker's effective hourly rate.
Step 3: Compare to Minimum Wage
If the effective hourly rate is below the applicable minimum wage (federal or state, whichever is higher), you must pay the difference as “make-up pay.”
Don't forget overtime
If a piece rate worker works over 40 hours in a week, you also owe overtime using the FLSA half-time premium method. Use our Piece Rate Overtime Calculator to get that number right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do piece rate workers have to earn minimum wage?
Yes. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must ensure that piece rate workers earn at least the applicable minimum wage (federal or state, whichever is higher) for every hour worked. If their piece rate earnings fall below minimum wage when divided by hours worked, the employer must pay the difference as make-up pay.
How is minimum wage calculated for piece rate employees?
Divide the worker's total piece rate earnings for the workweek by the total hours worked that week. This gives you the effective hourly rate. If it's below the applicable minimum wage, you owe the difference for every hour worked. For example, if a worker earns $400 in piece rate pay over 50 hours, their effective rate is $8.00/hour.
What happens if a piece rate worker's pay falls below minimum wage?
The employer must pay make-up pay to bring the worker's effective hourly rate up to at least minimum wage. Failure to do so is a wage violation under the FLSA and can result in back pay, liquidated damages (double the amount owed), and penalties from the Department of Labor.
Which minimum wage applies -- federal or state?
Whichever is higher. The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, but many states have higher rates. For example, California is $16.50/hour and Washington is $16.66/hour. You must always pay at least the higher of the two rates.
Can slow workers cost me money with piece rate pay?
Yes. If a worker is slow enough that their piece rate earnings don't meet minimum wage, you owe the difference. This is why tracking hours accurately is critical with piece work. You need to know each worker's effective hourly rate every pay period to catch shortfalls before they add up.
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