Alaska rules on employee overtime, wage and hour law, and fair pay.
What is the minimum wage in Alaska?
The minimum wage in Alaska is adjusted each year for inflation. As of January 1, 2023, the minimum wage is $10.85 per hour.
Is the minimum wage different in Alaska for tipped employees?
Although the FLSA and the laws of most states allow employers to pay tipped employees a lower minimum wage, Alaska law does not. In Alaska, tipped employees are entitled to the full minimum wage for every hour worked. (For more information, see Nolo's article Tips, Tip Pooling, and Tip Credits.)
When am I entitled to earn overtime?
In Alaska, eligible employees must receive overtime if they work more than eight hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week. Not every type of job is eligible for overtime, however. To learn more, see Nolo's article Overtime Pay: Your Rights as an Employee and contact the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Am I entitled to a lunch or rest break?
Alaska does not require employers to provide lunch or rest breaks. However, you are entitled to be paid if you have to do any work during a break (for example, if you have to cover the phones while you eat lunch). And, generally, you are entitled to be paid for any short breaks (five to 20 minutes) your employer provides; this time is considered part of your work day.
To learn more about wage and hour laws in Alaska, contact the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
What are wage and hour laws?
Wage and hour laws set the basic standards for pay and time worked—covering issues like minimum wage, tips, overtime, meal and rest breaks, what counts as time worked, when you must be paid, things your employer must pay for, and so on.
Where do wage and hour laws come from?
The federal wage and hour law is called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Most states also have their own wage and hour laws, and some local governments (like cities and counties) do, too. An employer who is subject to more than one law must follow the law that is most generous to the employee. For example, the federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but employers in states that have set a higher minimum wage must pay the higher amount.
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