The Wyoming Labor Law Guide

The minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate that employers are legally required to pay employees. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is the baseline under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Most employers in Wyoming must pay at least this rate.

Wyoming’s state minimum wage statute sets a lower rate of $5.15 per hour for employers not covered by the FLSA, but in practice, the federal $7.25 minimum usually applies.

Wyoming does not allow cities or counties to set their own minimum wage rates.

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Tipped minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate employers are legally obligated to pay employees who earn a significant portion of their income through tips.

In Wyoming, employers may pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage of $2.13 per hour, provided that the employee’s total earnings (cash wage plus tips actually received) meet or exceed the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. If the employee’s combined pay falls below this threshold, the employer must make up the difference.

A “tipped employee” is defined under Wyoming law as someone who customarily and regularly receives at least $30 per month in tips.

Important: Most Wyoming employers are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs the federal minimum wage. However, Wyoming also maintains a lower state minimum wage of $5.15/hour for employers not covered by the FLSA. In such cases, the combined tipped wage must meet or exceed that state minimum.

Wyoming does not have its own general state overtime law for private sector employees. Therefore, overtime requirements are governed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Under the FLSA, all non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular rate for all hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. Employers must track work hours accurately to ensure compliance.

Note: Wyoming does not mandate overtime based on daily hours (e.g., over 8 hours in a day), and no cities or counties in the state impose local overtime rules. Certain exemptions may apply depending on job classification and duties.

Wyoming does not have any state law requiring employers to provide rest or meal breaks for adult employees. As such, employers may choose whether or not to offer breaks, but if breaks are provided, federal rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) apply.

Under the FLSA:

• Short breaks (typically 5–20 minutes) must be counted as paid work time.

• Meal breaks (generally 30 minutes or more) may be unpaid only if the employee is completely relieved of all duties during the break.

• If an employee is not fully “off duty” — for example, if they remain on-call or continue performing tasks — the time must be paid.

There are no local (city or county) laws in Wyoming that require additional break provisions.

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Vacation Leave
Wyoming law does not require private or public employers to provide paid or unpaid vacation leave. Any vacation benefits offered are at the employer’s discretion and should be clearly outlined in company policies or employment agreements.

Paid Sick Leave
Wyoming does not mandate paid sick leave for private or public employers. If an employer chooses to provide sick leave, the terms — including accrual, usage, and payout — are determined by the employer’s internal policies.

Holidays
Wyoming law does not require employers to provide paid holidays or time off on holidays. Any holiday benefits, including pay or time off, are voluntary and should be specified in company policies or employment contracts. Hours worked on holidays are treated the same as hours worked on any other day, unless the employer elects to offer special rates. Wyoming recognizes nine official holidays for state government employees, but this requirement does not extend to private employers.

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Most Wyoming employers are governed by federal child labor laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). State-specific rules apply only to employers not covered by federal law — a rare exception.

Minors Under 14
Generally, minors under age 14 may not be employed in non-agricultural jobs, with limited exceptions (e.g., working for a parent in a family business, newspaper delivery, certain entertainment roles).

Minors Aged 14–15
Minors age 14 or 15 may work in approved non-hazardous jobs such as retail, food service, office/clerical work, tutoring, and lifeguarding (age 15+). They may work outside of school hours under these limits:

• Up to 3 hours on a school day (not during school hours)

• Up to 18 hours in a school week

• Up to 8 hours on a non-school day

• Up to 40 hours in a non-school week

• 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, extended to 9:00 PM from June 1 to Labor Day

Minors Aged 16–17
Minors age 16 or older may work unlimited hours but may not be employed in occupations designated as hazardous by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Wyoming-Specific Rules (for employers not covered by federal law)
In the rare cases where only state law applies, minors under 16:

• May not work more than 8 hours in any 12-hour period

• May not work before 5:00 AM or after 10:00 PM before a school day

• May not work after midnight on non-school nights

• Minors not enrolled in school may work up to 8 hours between 5:00 AM and midnight

Hiring
The Fair Employment Practices Act in Wyoming regulates all hiring practices for employers. Under the law, employers with two or more employees are prohibited from discriminating against qualified individuals based on protected characteristics.

Employers may not discriminate based on any of the following:

• Age

• Sex

• Race

• Creed

• Color

• National original

• Ancestry 

• Pregnancy 

• Qualifying disability 

The law includes discrimination in hiring, promoting, demoting, or terminating, along with discrimination in compensation or other employment terms.

Firing
Wyoming is known as an at-will employment state, meaning employers may terminate employees at any time without a reason or cause, as long as it's not unlawful.

Employees also have the right to resign from employment at any time for any reason without providing prior notice, unless it's specified in their employment contract or company policy.