Wages Paid to Participants
Wages
Participants are compensated at the higher of:
(i) The applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage (including overtime); or
(ii) Pay and benefits commensurate with those offered to their similarly situated U.S. counterparts.
The national minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour for non-tipped positions. For tipped positions (such as waitstaff), the national minimum wage is $2.13 per hour. Minimum wage requirements may be higher in some states.
Paychecks are typically given out every two weeks.
Students should be prepared to cover their expenses before they receive their first paycheck. (We recommend $600 or more for these initial expenses, including housing costs or travel to job site.)
Students who receive their final paychecks while traveling in the U.S. or after returning to their home countries may have trouble cashing these checks at out-of-state banks or banks outside the U.S. Arrangements should be made with the employer to prevent this occurrence.
Students who have any questions or concerns about their wages must contact InterExchange.
Working Hours
Students should expect to work between 30 to 40 hours per week.
Every tourist resort area has its “high” and “low” seasons. Students should expect to work fewer hours during the lowest part of the season (perhaps as few as 20 to 25 hours per week for a week or two). They may be expected to work more during the busier times (up to 55 to 60 hours per week). Students will often be working many more hours on the weekends compared to the weekdays.
Employers cannot guarantee hours if there is unexpected bad weather that affects tourist activity.
Students are not permitted to work overnight shifts or more than 12 hours in one day.
Overtime
Overtime laws vary from state to state. In some states, seasonal employers may not be obligated to pay overtime or may pay overtime only after an employee has worked for a set amount of time, for example, over 56 hours in a week.
Overtime is not guaranteed. Students should not expect to work more than 30 to 40 hours a week.
