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The Labor Standards Bureau administers and enforces the 1979 North Carolina Wage and Hour Act, the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act, and the Controlled Substance Examination Regulation Act. The State's Wage and Hour Act consolidates four previously separate state laws covering minimum wage, maximum hours, wage payment and child labor. Minimum wage, overtime and youth employment provisions generally apply to all North Carolina businesses which are not subject to the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. Wage payment provisions, which include the payment of promised wages, vacation, sick pay, or other benefits, cover all employees in North Carolina except those employed in federal, state, and local government.
State Child Labor Laws: With some exceptions, youth employment certificates are required for workers aged 14 through 17. Minors under 18 are prohibited from being employed in certain hazardous occupations. There are daily and weekly hours restrictions, break requirements, and additional work limitations for 14- and 15-year-old workers. Minors aged 12 and 13 may be employed for newspaper delivery only, and a youth employment certificate is not required. Employment for youth under age 12 is not permitted. Full and partial exemptions from the youth employment requirements under the act are granted for certain occupations, such as those in agriculture and domestic work.
North Carolina rules on youth employment can be found in Chapter 95, Article 2A, Section 95-25-5 of the North Carolina Labor Regulations
State Minimum Wage: Effective July 24, 2009, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Overtime: An employee must work for more than 40 hours in any work week to qualify for overtime, under state laws.
State rules on minimum wage and overtime can be found in Chapter 95, Article 2A, Sections 95-25-3 and 95-25-4 of the North Carolina Labor Regulations
State Prevailing Wage: North Carolina does not have a prevailing wage law.
Contact information
- Wage and Hour Bureau
North Carolina Department of Labor
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1101
Phone: 919-807-2796, 800-625-2267
Website: www.labor.nc.gov/about-ncdol/divisions/standards-and-inspections-division#wage-and-hour-bureau