Missouri Overtime Calculator: Overtime Pay & Take-Home Pay

Missouri overtime pay rights operate under both the Missouri Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (RSMo §§ 290.500–290.530) and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 207). Both statutes protect covered non-exempt employees by guaranteeing overtime compensation. Below is the full statutory analysis of Missouri overtime requirements, minimum wage increases under Proposition A, tipped employee protections, state tax withholding, and local earnings taxes enforced by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) and the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR).

1. The Overtime Rule: RSMo § 290.505

Under RSMo § 290.505.1, no employer shall employ any employee for a workweek longer than 40 hours unless the employee receives compensation for employment in excess of 40 hours at a rate not less than one and one-half times (1.5×) the regular rate at which they are employed.

Is overtime after 8 hours in Missouri? No. Missouri law contains no daily overtime threshold. An employer may schedule an employee for a 10-hour or 12-hour shift without incurring overtime liability, provided the employee's total actual work hours do not exceed 40 hours in the established 7-day payroll workweek. Furthermore, Missouri statute does not mandate extra pay for working on Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays unless those hours push the weekly total past 40.

Can Missouri employees waive overtime? No. Missouri courts and DOLIR regulations establish that an employee cannot waive statutory overtime pay by private agreement or accept straight-time pay or unrecorded “comp time” in lieu of cash overtime. Missouri law also imposes no statutory cap on the maximum number of hours an adult employee may work in a week.

2. 2026 Missouri Minimum Wage: $15.00/hr (Proposition A)

Under the statutory phase-in schedule established by voter-approved Proposition A, the Missouri state minimum wage is $15.00 per hour effective for 2026 (increased from $13.75 in 2025). As a direct result, the statutory minimum overtime floor in Missouri is $22.50 per hour ($15.00 × 1.5).

• Small Retail and Service Exemption: Under RSMo § 290.500(4), retail or service businesses whose annual gross volume of sales made or business done is less than $500,000 are exempt from the Missouri state minimum wage and overtime laws. However, if individual employees engage in interstate commerce or if enterprise coverage applies under the federal FLSA, the federal $7.25/hr minimum wage may still apply.
• Seasonal Amusement and Recreation Exemption: Under RSMo § 290.505.3, employers operating an amusement or recreation business that does not operate for more than seven months in any calendar year are required to pay overtime compensation only after 52 hours in a workweek rather than 40 hours.

3. Tipped Employees: $7.50 Cash Wage & Overtime Rules

Under RSMo § 290.512.1 and 8 CSR 30-4.020(1), Missouri employers of tipped employees may take a tip credit of at most 50% of the statutory minimum wage ($7.50/hr credit for 2026). Employers must pay a direct cash wage of at least $7.50 per hour. If the employee's direct cash wage plus tips does not equal at least $15.00 per hour across the workweek, the employer must make up the shortfall.

How does overtime apply to tipped workers in Missouri? The tip credit is legally capped at 50% of the standard minimum wage ($7.50) and does NOT expand on overtime hours. For every overtime hour worked, the employer must pay:

• Statutory overtime minimum wage: $15.00 × 1.5 = $22.50/hr
• Maximum allowable tip credit: $7.50/hr (fixed)
• Minimum cash wage owed by employer: $22.50 − $7.50 = $15.00 per hour

Employers who simply multiply the $7.50 cash wage by 1.5 ($11.25) violate Missouri wage law. The employer must pay at least $15.00/hr in cash, and the worker's total cash plus tips must reach at least $22.50/hr for every overtime hour.

4. Salaried Employees & White-Collar Exemptions

Receiving a salary does not automatically exempt an employee from overtime pay in Missouri. Under RSMo § 290.500 et seq. and federal FLSA regulations (29 C.F.R. Part 541), an employee is exempt from overtime pay only if they meet both:

• Salary Basis Test: The employee must receive a guaranteed salary of at least $684.00 per week ($35,568.00 per year). Missouri law directly follows the federal salary threshold and does not establish a higher state salary floor.
• Duties Tests: The employee's primary job duties must involve executive management, administrative business operations, or learned professional work requiring advanced specialized degrees.

If a salaried employee earns less than $684/week, or if their daily tasks are operational rather than managerial, they are non-exempt. If they work more than 40 hours in a workweek, they are owed 1.5× overtime pay based on their regular hourly rate. Check our dedicated salaried overtime calculator to analyze salaried wage scenarios.

5. Missouri Break Laws: No State Meal or Rest Mandate

Missouri state law does not require employers to provide meal breaks or rest periods for adult employees, regardless of how many continuous hours they work. An employer may require an employee to work an entire shift without a scheduled meal or break unless otherwise specified in an employment contract or collective bargaining agreement.

However, when a Missouri employer does choose to offer breaks, federal FLSA regulations govern:

• Short Rest Breaks (under 20 minutes): Under 29 C.F.R. § 785.18, coffee and snack breaks running from 5 to 20 minutes must be counted as compensable paid work hours and included in overtime calculations.
• Bona Fide Meal Periods (30+ minutes): Under 29 C.F.R. § 785.19, meal periods do not have to be paid, provided the employee is completely relieved from all work duties. If an employee is required to answer phones or monitor equipment while eating, the meal period must be paid.

6. Final Paycheck Rules: RSMo § 290.110

Missouri enforces strict statutory timing for final wage payments under RSMo § 290.110:

• Discharged or Fired Employees: Wages earned are due immediately at the time of discharge. If the employer fails to pay, the employee may submit a formal written demand sent by certified mail. Upon receipt of this written demand, the employer has 7 days to deliver payment. If unpaid after 7 days, statutory penalty wages begin accruing at the employee's regular wage rate for every calendar day payment is delayed, up to a maximum of 60 days of full penalty wages.
• Voluntary Resignation (Quitting): If an employee quits or resigns, final wages are due on the next scheduled regular payday.

7. Missouri Withholding & Form MO W-4

The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) 2026 Withholding Tax Formula calculates state income tax withholding using annualized gross earnings minus the standard deduction ($16,100 Single, $32,200 Married Filing Jointly, $24,150 Head of Household). Tax is assessed across 8 graduated brackets in $1,348 steps, reaching a top marginal rate of 4.70% on taxable income over $9,436.

Unlike states that use withholding allowances, Missouri eliminated personal withholding allowances. Form MO W-4 uses filing status checkboxes:

• Single / Head of Household: Applies the $16,100 or $24,150 standard deduction.
• Married (spouse does not work): Applies the full $32,200 joint standard deduction.
• Married (spouse works or filing separate): Withheld at the single $16,100 deduction to prevent underwithholding.
• Whole-Dollar Rounding: Missouri's statutory formula directs employers to round weekly withholding to the nearest whole dollar — a unique feature that our calculator models with complete precision.
• Supplemental Wages: Bonuses, commissions, or supplemental overtime payments paid separately from regular wages may be withheld at a flat 4.70%.

8. Kansas City & St. Louis 1% Local Earnings Taxes

Missouri law authorizes two municipalities to impose a local earnings tax on wages:

• Kansas City: Under City Code, Kansas City levies a 1.0% earnings tax on gross wage income. Residents of Kansas City owe the tax regardless of where they work. Non-residents owe the 1% tax on all compensation earned for work performed physically within Kansas City municipal limits.
• City of St. Louis: Under St. Louis Revised Code Chapter 5.22, the City of St. Louis levies an identical 1.0% earnings tax on gross wages earned by residents anywhere and by non-residents for work performed within the city.

Our calculator includes an explicit local earnings tax selector for Kansas City and St. Louis. When activated, the 1.0% tax is calculated directly on gross wages, rounded to the cent, displayed on its own line in the breakdown, and subtracted to show true net take-home pay.

9. Unpaid Overtime Claims & Legal Recourse

If your Missouri employer fails to pay proper overtime wages, you have legal remedies under both state and federal law:

• DOLIR Wage Complaint: You may submit an administrative complaint to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (labor.mo.gov) Division of Labor Standards, which investigates wage theft and child labor violations.
• Civil Court Action (RSMo § 290.525): Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 290.525, an employer who pays less than statutory wages is liable to the employee for the full amount of underpaid overtime, plus costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and potential liquidated damages under the federal FLSA.
• Statute of Limitations: FLSA overtime claims must generally be filed within 2 years of the violation, extended to 3 years if the employer's wage violation was willful.