New Jersey Minimum Wage 2026
The minimum wage in New Jersey is $15.92 per hour in 2026, effective January 1, 2026. Tipped employees can be paid a cash wage of $6.05 per hour, as long as tips bring them to the full minimum.
What is the minimum wage in New Jersey in 2026?
The New Jersey minimum wage is $15.92 per hour for most employers as of January 1, 2026, up from $15.49 in 2025. New Jersey's 2019 law finished its climb to $15.00 in 2024, and the rate now moves with the Consumer Price Index every January.
Not every employer pays the headline rate. Seasonal employers and small employers with fewer than six workers follow a lower schedule that is still catching up to the main rate, currently around $15.00 per hour (confirm the current figure with the New Jersey Department of Labor). Agricultural employers have their own track as well.
Tipped minimum wage in New Jersey
The tipped minimum wage in New Jersey is $6.05 per hour in 2026. New Jersey's tip credit is $9.87, one of the larger credits in the region, and the cash wage rises whenever the full minimum does so the credit stays fixed.
Tips must bring every tipped employee up to at least $15.92 per hour for each pay period. If a slow week leaves someone short, the employer covers the gap in wages. Given how high the full minimum now sits, shortfall checks matter more in New Jersey than in most states.
New Jersey minimum wage history: 2020 to 2026
| Year | Minimum wage | Tipped wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $11.00 | $3.13 |
| 2021 | $12.00 | $4.13 |
| 2022 | $13.00 | $5.13 |
| 2023 | $14.13 | $5.26 |
| 2024 | $15.13 | $5.26 |
| 2025 | $15.49 | $5.62 |
| 2026 | $15.92 | $6.05 |
Rates shown are for most employers. Seasonal and small employers (fewer than six employees) follow a lower schedule that phases up to the main rate.
Upcoming minimum wage increases in New Jersey
New Jersey's minimum wage now adjusts every January 1 based on the Consumer Price Index, so a further increase on January 1, 2027 is effectively automatic. The state announces the new rate in the fall.
The lower schedules for seasonal and small employers continue stepping up until they converge with the main rate. If you run a shore business or a small shop, check the Department of Labor's published schedule each year rather than assuming the headline figure applies.
Minimum wage by city in New Jersey
New Jersey has a single statewide minimum wage with no municipal ordinances. Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Trenton all follow the $15.92 rate.
The bigger wage pressure in North Jersey is not local law but geography. Employers in Newark and Jersey City compete directly with New York City's labor market, where the minimum is $17.00 and market rates run higher still, so offers at the New Jersey floor can struggle to fill roles.
State rate applies; NYC metro wage competition pushes market rates higher
State rate applies; hourly offers often track Manhattan across the river
State rate applies
State rate applies
What New Jersey employers need to know
Know your schedule
Most employers owe $15.92, but seasonal employers and those with fewer than six employees follow a lower catching-up schedule. Verify which schedule applies before setting pay.
Tipped employees
The cash wage is $6.05 with a $9.87 tip credit. Track tips per pay period and top up any employee whose tips plus cash wage fall below $15.92 per hour.
Annual January adjustment
The rate moves with CPI every January 1. Update payroll, wage notices, and any rate-linked pay bands when the new figure is announced each fall.
Posting and records
Display the current New Jersey wage and hour poster and keep payroll records for at least six years, the retention period under state law.
How other states compare
See how New Jersey's $15.92 rate stacks up against other state minimum wages in 2026, or browse the full minimum wage index for all 50 states.
Last verified:
Sources: the US Department of Labor's state minimum wage table and official announcements from the New Jersey labor department. Minimum wage laws change frequently; confirm current rates with those sources or legal counsel before setting pay.
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