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Payroll Frequency Requirements

How frequently do I need to pay my household worker? My nanny wants to be paid weekly. Do I need to do that?

Payroll for your household employee (nanny, housekeeper, maid, etc.) is governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Household employees are Non-Exempt employees under the FLSA. Most states have established minimum pay frequencies for non-exempt workers - the maximum interval between wage payments to the worker. These pay frequency requirements range from monthly to weekly, with the vast majority requiring at a minimum semi-monthly wage payments. Some states further establish guidelines for the maximum permissible number of days following the payroll period that the employer can delay payment (permissible lag time). The alphabetical list below summarizes these requirements on a state-by-state basis. This list is specific to household employment.

Note to employers sponsoring foreign workers employed with G-5 Visas: The US State Department requires that employees working with a G-5 visa be paid on either a weekly or by-weekly (26 times a year) basis. This standard superceeds more liberal state payment regulations. More information for sponsors of G-5 employees.


List Updated Oct. 2010

  • Alabama: Semi-Monthly
  • Alaska: Monthly
  • Arizona: Semi-Monthly, 5 day lag maximum
  • Arkansas: Semi-Monthly
  • California: Semi-Monthly, 7 day lag maximum
  • Colorado: Monthly, 10 day lag maximum
  • Connecticut: Weekly, 8 day lag maximum
  • Delaware: Monthly, 7 day lag maximum
  • District of Columbia: Semi-Monthly, 10 day lag maximum
  • Florida: Monthly
  • Georgia: Semi-Monthly
  • Hawaii: Semi-Monthly, 7 day lag maximum
  • Idaho: Monthly, 10 day lag maximum
  • Illinois: Semi-Monthly
  • Indiana: Semi-Monthly, 10 day lag maximum
  • Iowa: Bi-Weekly, 12 day lag maximum
  • Kansas: Monthly, 15 day lag maximum
  • Kentucky: Semi-Monthly, 18 day lag maximum
  • Louisiana: Semi-Monthly, 10 day lag maximum
  • Maine: Bi-Weekly, 8 day lag maximum
  • Maryland: Semi-Monthly
  • Massachusetts: Bi-Weekly, 6 day lag maximum
  • Michigan: Bi-Weekly, 14 day lag maximum (Monthly allowed if paid 1st of month in advance)
  • Minnesota: Monthly, 15 day lag maximum
  • Mississippi: Semi-Monthly, 10 day maximum lag
  • Missouri: Semi-Monthly, 16 day maximum lag
  • Montana: Semi-Monthly, 10 day maximum lag
  • Nebraska: Monthly
  • Nevada: Semi-Monthly, 15 day maximum lag
  • New Hampshire: Weekly, 8 day maximum lag
  • New Jersey: Semi-Monthly, 10 day maximum lag
  • New Mexico: Semi-Monthly, 10 day maximum lag
  • New York: Weekly*, 7 day maximum lag (Weekly payroll mandated by the NY Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights 11/28/2010)
  • North Carolina: Monthly
  • North Dakota: Monthly
  • Ohio: Semi-Monthly (some exceptions allow monthly), 15 day maximum lag
  • Oklahoma: Semi-Monthly
  • Oregon: Monthly
  • Pennsylvania: Semi-Monthly, 15 day maximum lag
  • Rhode Island: Weekly, 9 day maximum lag
  • South Carolina: Monthly
  • South Dakota: Monthly
  • Tennessee: Semi-Monthly, 20 day maximum lag
  • Texas: Semi-Monthly
  • Utah: Semi-Monthly, 10 day maximum lag
  • Vermont: Weekly, 6 day maximum lag
  • Virginia: Semi-Monthly
  • Washington: Monthly, 7 day maximum lag
  • West Virginia: Bi-Weekly
  • Wisconsin: Monthly, 31 day maximum lag
  • Wyoming: Semi-Monthly, 16 day maximum lag

Many employers misunderstand the difference between Bi-Weekly and Semi-Monthly payroll. Bi-Weekly is payroll on alternate weeks. There are 26 pay periods in a year with Bi-Weekly payroll and each payroll period covers two weeks work. Semi-Monthly is payroll twice a month. There may be 15 or 16 days covered in a payroll period, and there are 24 payroll periods in a year.

Resources:

» 10 Tips: Common Household Payroll & Legal Mistakes
» 10 Tips: New York Domestic Employee Rights & Employer Obligations
» 10 Tips: Nanny Employment Rights in the Workplace
» Free Payroll Tax Calculator Tools