New Jersey minimum wage: $15.92 an hour, rising to $16.48 on January 1, 2027
Checked November 7, 2026Source: New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Short answer
New Jersey’s minimum wage is $15.92 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Employers may pay tipped employees $6.05 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $15.92.
It rises to $16.48 on January 1, 2027, with a tipped cash wage of $6.61.
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- Minimum wage today
- $15.92
- Tipped employees, cash wage
- $6.05
- From January 1, 2027
- $16.48
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $33,114
We found no city or county in New Jersey with its own higher minimum wage.
What the January 1, 2027 raise costs you
The raise is $0.56 an hour for anyone paid less than the new rate on January 1, 2027.
- Added wages a year
- $874
- Employer Social Security and Medicare (FICA), 7.65%
- $67
- Total added cost a year
- $941
Counts only the raise for workers below the new rate, over 52 weeks. It leaves out raises you give others to keep pay gaps, and state unemployment tax, which usually stops at a wage cap.
New Jersey minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Tipped cash wage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027Upcoming | $16.48 | $6.61 | Most employers; inflation-based increase announced September 29, 2026. Maximum tip credit stays $9.87.source |
| January 1, 2026Current | $15.92 | $6.05 | Most employers. Maximum tip credit $9.87.source |
| January 1, 2025 | $15.49 | $5.62 | Most employers. Maximum tip credit $9.87.source |
Adjusted each January 1 by the increase in the consumer price index, as the state constitution requires; the New Jersey Department of Labor announces the new rates around September 30.
Other New Jersey rates
Seasonal and small employers (fewer than 6 employees)
Employers with fewer than 6 employees, and seasonal employees. Statutory catch-up to the standard rate is completed in 2028.
Today: $15.23 · from January 1, 2027: $16.25
Agricultural employers (hourly or piece-rate)
Farm workers paid hourly or by piece rate. Statutory catch-up is completed in 2030.
Today: $14.20 · from January 1, 2027: $15.00
Long-term care facility direct care staff
Direct care staff at long-term care facilities; set $3 above the standard rate.
Today: $18.92 · from January 1, 2027: $19.48
Before January 1, 2027
- Update every hourly rate below $16.48 in payroll so the first paycheck on or after that date is right.
- Update tipped employees’ cash wage to $6.61.
- Replace the minimum wage poster with the new year’s version from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Other New Jersey pay rules
- Paydays
- At least twice a month on regular paydays set in advance. Executive, supervisory and some other classes of employees may be paid monthly.
- Overtime
- State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: By the next regular payday. Quit: By the next regular payday.
From the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All New Jersey employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to New Jersey
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
| State | Today | Next change |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $15.92 | $16.48 on January 1, 2027 |
| New York | $17.00$16.00 in the rest of the state | No raise on January 1, 2027 |
| Delaware | $15.00 | None scheduled |
| Pennsylvania | $7.25 | None scheduled |
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in New Jersey in 2026?
New Jersey’s minimum wage is $15.92 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
What is the tipped minimum wage in New Jersey?
Employers may pay tipped employees $6.05 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $15.92.
When does the New Jersey minimum wage go up next?
On January 1, 2027, to $16.48 an hour. Adjusted each January 1 by the increase in the consumer price index, as the state constitution requires; the New Jersey Department of Labor announces the new rates around September 30.
Do cities in New Jersey have a higher minimum wage?
We found no city or county in New Jersey with a minimum wage above the state rate.
Does New Jersey require overtime pay?
State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in New Jersey must do
Sources
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $16.48/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1 (September 29, 2026), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (read Nov 7, 2026)
- New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $15.92/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1 (October 1, 2025), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum wage increase to $15.49 for most employees (October 8, 2024), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (read Nov 7, 2026)
- MW-570 (9/26) New Jersey’s Minimum Wage postcard, 2020-2027 rate table, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (read Nov 7, 2026)