Current Minimum Wage
New Jersey minimum wage$15.92since January 1, 2026

State minimum wage

New Jersey minimum wage

$15.92 an hour as of September 2, 2026. Tipped cash wage $6.05.

  • The New Jersey minimum wage is $15.92 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • The next change is on : an indexed adjustment, amount to be announced.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $6.05 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $9.87.
  • At $15.92 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $33,114 a year before taxes.

Tipped cash wage

$6.05
Tip credit up to $9.87

Youth / training

None
Training wage: 90 percent of the otherwise applicable minimum wage during the first 120 hours of work for employees in an established training program (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a4 per fetched summary). No...

Next change

Indexed, TBA
· indexed-unannounced

Local rates

None found
Not verified; no New Jersey local minimum wage ordinances were identified in the sources read.

Scheduled increases in New Jersey

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
StateTBA
New Jerseyindexed-unannounced · On January 1 of each year the minimum wage increases by any increase in CPI-W for the 12 months prior to the preceding September 30 (or the...
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

Rate tiers

TierRateRule
Seasonal and small employers (fewer than 6 employees)$15.23Effective 2026-01-01 (NJDOL chart MW-570 1/26; DOL table).
Agricultural employers$14.20Effective 2026-01-01; agricultural track equalizes with the standard rate by 2030 per statute.
Long-term care facility direct care staff$18.92$3.00 above the prevailing minimum wage.

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. Most employers ('Effective January 1, 2026, New Jersey's minimum wage is $15.92/hour for most workers')..

Tipped employees. Cash wage of at least $6.05 (2026); statutory tip credit fixed at $9.87 for 2024 and subsequent years; employer must make up any shortfall so total equals the full minimum wage.

Indexing. Adjusted by CPI-W (federal), 12 months prior to the September 30 preceding each January 1 on January 1 annually ; announced NJDOL Commissioner....

Recent history. NJDOL chart: most employers $11 (2020), $12 (2021), $13 (2022), $14.13 (2023), $15.13 (2024), $15.49 (2025), $15.92 (2026); seasonal/small $10.30 to $15.23; agricultural $10.30 to $14.20; tipped cash $3.13 to $6.05...

Chart footnote: 'Minimum wage may continue to increase each January 1 based on a measure of inflation.'

Statute. N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a4.

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in New Jersey?

$15.92 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective January 1, 2026.

When does the New Jersey minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, by an indexed amount the agency will announce.

What is the tipped minimum wage in New Jersey?

$6.05 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $15.92.

Do any cities in New Jersey have a higher minimum wage?

None were found in effect.

Sources

  1. https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/ official
  2. https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/support/faqs/wageandhourworkerfaqs.shtml official
  3. https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/assets/PDFs/minimumwage_postcard.pdf official
  4. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  5. https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/tools-resources/laws/wageandhourlaws.shtml official
  6. https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages

Checked 2026-09-02 against New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour and...; researcher confidence 0.92.