Most workers will receive a 56-cent increase in the wage floor, while separate rates apply to small employers, farmworkers and direct-care staff.
TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey’s minimum wage for most employees will rise to $16.48 an hour on Jan. 1, 2027, an increase of 56 cents, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced Sept. 29.
For someone paid the general minimum for 40 hours each week, the change amounts to $22.40 more in gross weekly pay, or $1,164.80 over 52 weeks at the same hours. Those calculations exclude taxes, overtime and unpaid time off.
The state’s announcement sets several rates:
| Worker category | Minimum hourly rate beginning Jan. 1, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Most employees | $16.48 |
| Employees of seasonal employers and businesses with fewer than six employees | $16.25 |
| Farmworkers paid hourly or by piece rate | $15.00 |
| Long-term-care facility direct-care staff | $19.48 |
| Tipped employees’ minimum cash wage | $6.61, plus tips |
The general increase follows the state’s annual inflation adjustment. Small and seasonal employers and agricultural employers remain on separate statutory schedules. Farmworkers’ minimum rises from $14.20 to $15; the small and seasonal employer rate increases from $15.23 to $16.25.
For tipped workers, $6.61 is the employer’s minimum cash payment, rather than the total earnings floor. Under the Labor Department’s worker guidance, wages and tips together must reach the applicable minimum. The employer must cover a shortfall.
For example, at the new general minimum, a tipped employee receiving $6.61 in cash wages and $8 in tips for an hour would have $14.61 in combined earnings. The employer would owe another $1.87 for that hour to reach $16.48.
Workers who believe they were underpaid can file an individual wage complaint with the state online or by mail. The department advises submitting copies of supporting records and retaining originals. Its guidance says it enforces wage laws without regard to a worker’s immigration status.
The new rates take effect in January. The September announcement gives workers and employers advance notice of the amounts that will govern covered work in the new year.