An hourly worker or hourly employee is an employee paid an hourly wage for their services, as opposed to a fixed salary. Hourly workers may often be found in service and manufacturing occupations, but are common across a variety of fields. Hourly employment is often associated but not synonymous with at-will employment.

Most countries operate minimum wage systems, which set a minimum rate of pay for hourly employees. As of October 2023, France has the highest hourly minimum wage at $13.80 per hour.^[1] The United States has a comparatively low minimum wage for hourly workers at $7.25 per hour. Unusually, this rate does not apply to tipped employees, who are only entitled to an hourly wage of $2.13, which contributes to a strong tipping culture in the country.^[2][3] As a tipped employee, wages plus tips must equal the standard minimum wage or the employer is required to provide the difference.