2015 Pennsylvania and Federal Minimum Wage Rates
Roy Clark
Minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage an employer is required to pay an employee. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the statute which applies to most employers and establishes the minimum wage and overtime requirements for most employers. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. In addition to the minimum wage, covered nonexempt employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 per workweek at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay.
The workweek is defined as a regularly recurring period of 168 hours or seven consecutive 24-hour periods. Some states require employers to pay a higher minimum wage than the federal hourly rate.
Some states have minimum wage rates that are higher than the federal rate, however Pennsylvania is not one of them. Pennsylvania currently has a minimum wage rate that is also $7.25 per hour.
EXEMPTIONS FROM THE MINIMUM WAGE: Under the Fair Labors Standard Act, employees hired for certain jobs or assigned certain duties are exempt from the minimum wage. The following jobs and duties are exempt …
1. Babysitters on a casual basis
2. Companions for the elderly
3. Workers with disabilities
4. Federal criminal investigators
5. Employees who receive tips
6. Employees who work at seasonal amusement and recreational establishments
7. Workers under the age of 18 for a training period of up to 90 days
8. Fishing workers
9. Homeworkers making wreaths
10. Newspaper delivery workers
11. Newspaper employees of limited circulated newspapers
12. Seamen on foreign vessels
13. Switchboard operators
14. Farmworkers employed on small farms
Barry L Weller, EA is the president of Barry Weller & Associates with offices at 216 E Philadelphia Ave, Boyertown, PA 19512 Phone (610) 367-8280 Barry is an enrolled agent, licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS.
Revised 1/29/2015