Wage Theft » Arizona

Unpaid Wage Cases in Arizona

Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $116.8M in back wages owed to 125,478 Arizona workers, in 3,410 cases, and assessed $10.3M in penalties. 181 cases involved child labor violations covering 1,224 minors.

$116.8MBack wages employers agreed to pay
125,478Workers owed back wages
3,410Cases with back wages

What workers weren't paid

Overtime not paid$72.4M (62%)
Prevailing wage on government contracts$31.5M (27%)
Other laws (farmworker, visa, leave and more)$6.6M (6%)
Below minimum wage$6.3M (5%)

Industries with the most back wages

Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction$5.4M (5%)
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools$5.2M (4%)
Full-Service Restaurants$4.8M (4%)
Drywall and Insulation Contractors$4.1M (4%)
Janitorial Services$3M (3%)
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors$2.9M (2%)
All Other Specialty Trade Contractors$2.7M (2%)
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction$2.7M (2%)
Residential Building Construction$2.5M (2%)
Employment Placement Agencies$2.5M (2%)

Cases with back wages by year

01002003002022005159200614920071692008149200923120102752011248201220520132002014147201510720161722017126201814420191432020912021622022772023372024492025142026

By city

CityBack wagesWorkersCases
Phoenix$37.7M 41,180894
Tucson$15.5M 15,519497
Tempe$10.6M 9,417188
Scottsdale$7.7M 12,270231
Mesa$7.6M 6,214242
Glendale$4.7M 5,429126
Chandler$3.3M 4,176114
Gilbert$3.1M 3,32497
Yuma$2.7M 4,189120
Buckeye$2.2M 1,05115
Peoria$1.7M 1,81049
Flagstaff$1.1M 1,21164
Tolleson$913K 1,17512
Prescott Valley$902K 38419
Sierra Vista$822K 55727
Nogales$807K 48624
Prescott$789K 1,54337
Avondale$740K 56312
Goodyear$538K 68625
Lake Havasu City$522K 52129
Kingman$474K 40527
Casa Grande$463K 35229
Litchfield Park$421K 35616
Somerton$373K 67810
Surprise$363K 65028
Sedona$307K 36031
Apache Junction$238K 29520
Fountain Hills$233K 17111
Show Low$176K 29914
Page$167K 23212
Chino Valley$159K 12910
Bullhead City$137K 22113
Queen Creek$131K 18512
Sun City$125K 30711
Payson$103K 11811
Camp Verde$95,533 11210
Green Valley$81,694 22216

Cities with at least 10 cases with back wages.

Labor and employment lawyers in Arizona

Lawbamba lists 9 labor and employment lawyers with an office in Arizona, the practice area that deals with the wage theft cases on this page. These 4 come first in that listing (how the order is set).

Kindra Deneau
The Deneau Law Firm, PLLC
Labor and Employment, Business Law, Copyright Registration
Tempe · 3.9★ from 9 reviews
Brian Joseph Hembd
Wilenchik & Bartness A Professional Corporation
Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Torts
Phoenix
Nathaniel J. Hill
JacksonWhite P.C.
Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation, Employee Discipline
Mesa
Joshua R. Woodard
Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.
Labor and Employment, Education, Gaming
Phoenix

Matched by practice area and office location only. These lawyers are not connected to the records on this page and have not reviewed or endorsed it.

Owed wages by a Arizona employer?

Compare employment lawyers in Arizona

← All states

Source: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforcement data (every concluded compliance action since fiscal year 2005), from the DOL Open Data Portal, loaded November 9, 2026. “Back wages” is the amount employers agreed to pay workers after an investigation found they were underpaid; dates are the end of the period the investigation covered. Employer names and addresses are as DOL publishes them. Federal cases only: state labor departments and private lawsuits recover more that isn't counted here.

Lawbamba is not affiliated with the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.