Iowa Overtime Calculator and Time Tracking Rules
Overtime in Iowa is time and a half after 40 hours in a week. Iowa follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Use the free calculator below, check the state's wage and hour rules, and see how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
NOVEMBER 12, 2026 · BY THE CLOX TEAM
If you run an hourly crew in Iowa, two questions come up every payroll: how much do you owe once someone crosses into overtime, and are you following the state's rules. Iowa uses the federal 40-hour rule, so any hour past 40 in a workweek is paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. Iowa follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. This page gives you a free Iowa overtime calculator, a plain summary of the state's wage and hour rules, and a look at how Clox tracks your crew's hours.
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Free Iowa overtime calculator
Enter the hours someone worked in a week and their pay rate to see the regular and overtime split. The math follows Iowa rules: time and a half after 40 hours, with no daily overtime.
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Iowa wage and hour rules
Here's the short version of the rules an hourly Iowa employer runs into. Each figure has a source below, and the rules change over time, so confirm anything you rely on with the state.
$7.25 per hour since January 1, 2008 (Iowa Code § 91D.1), the same as the federal rate. Employers must pay the state rate or the current federal minimum wage, whichever is greater. Enterprises with annual gross sales or business under $300,000 are not required to pay the state minimum wage, but that exemption does not apply to laundering or clothing repair businesses, construction, hospitals and care institutions, schools, institutions of higher education, or public agencies. Federal FLSA exemptions also apply. Employers may pay an initial rate of $6.35 per hour for the first 90 calendar days of employment. Employees of a restaurant, hotel, motel, inn, or cabin who customarily and regularly receive more than $30 a month in tips may be paid a cash wage of $4.35 per hour, with a tip credit of up to 40 percent of the minimum wage ($2.90). If wages and tips do not average at least $7.25 per hour in a workweek, the employer must pay the difference. Iowa does not index its rate, and no change is scheduled for January 1, 2027.
1.5x the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek under the federal FLSA. Iowa has no state overtime law. The Iowa minimum wage poster states that overtime is covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, and the state Wage and Child Labor Unit sends overtime questions to the US DOL Wage and Hour Division.
None. Iowa has no state overtime law, so only the federal weekly standard applies (over 40 hours in a workweek). The state also sets no limit on daily hours for most adult employees unless an employment agreement or contract says otherwise. Working more than 8 hours in a day does not by itself trigger overtime.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing states that Iowa has no laws mandating meal breaks for adults. A break may be unpaid when the employee is completely relieved of job duties, and the employer may require the employee to stay on the premises. Youth-only rule: minors younger than 16 must be given a 30-minute break if they work five hours or more in a day.
A union contract or, for some groups such as airline pilots, other regulations may require breaks.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing states that an employee who leaves for any reason is to be paid on the next regularly scheduled payday. Where wages include the difference between a commission draw and commissions actually earned, that difference is due within 30 days of the separation. Accrued unused vacation is owed only if the employer has a contract, policy, or procedure to pay it to departing employees.
Confirm before you rely on these
Rates verified November 2026. The $7.25 rate took effect January 1, 2008, under Iowa Code § 91D.1. Iowa does not index its minimum wage, and no change is scheduled for January 1, 2027. Iowa wage law is enforced by the Wage and Child Labor Unit of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, and overtime is enforced federally by the US DOL Wage and Hour Division. This is general information, not legal or payroll advice. Check the Iowa labor department for the current rules, and talk to a professional for your situation.
Sources: dial.iowa.gov, workforce.iowa.gov, legis.iowa.gov, legis.iowa.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov, dol.gov.
How long to keep time records
Federal law requires keeping time cards 2 years and payroll records 3 years, and some states go longer. The full breakdown is in how long to keep timesheets and payroll records.
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Track Iowa hours accurately with Clox
A calculator is only as accurate as the hours you put into it. Clox is time tracking built for field and trade crews, so your crew's hours are recorded accurately in the first place, then the overtime is figured for you.
- Your crew clocks in with one tap on their phone, and it works offline, so a dead zone on the job doesn't lose a punch.
- Lock clock-in to a geofenced worksite so it has to happen on site. It's a strong deterrent, not a foolproof guarantee, because the location comes from the phone.
- Overtime is calculated automatically on the Iowa weekly-40 rule, so you're not doing this math by hand every Friday.
- Export payroll-ready files for QuickBooks, Gusto, ADP, and Paychex when the week is done.
If your crew moves between addresses during the day, settle how you handle drive time between job sites before you run the numbers. Those hours can count toward the weekly total, and leaving them untracked understates the overtime you owe.
You can see the plans on the pricing page, or start a free trial. It's 14 days free, no credit card to start, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
More state guides: Minnesota time tracking, Missouri time tracking.