Effective January 1, New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage will increase by $0.43 to $15.92 per hour for most employees.
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) sets the minimum wage for the coming year based on any increase in Consumer Price Index (CPI) data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
P.L. 2019, c. 32 signed into law in 2019, increased the minimum wage from $8.60 to $15.49 by January 2025. The law did, however, gradually increase the minimum wage rate of seasonal and small employers until 2028 to lessen the impact on those businesses. The minimum hourly wage for these employees will increase from $14.53 to $15.23 on January 1, 2026.
P.L. 2019, c. 32 defines “seasonal employment” as employment during a year by an employer that is a seasonal employer, or employment by a non-profit or government entity of an individual who is not employed by that employer outside of the period of that year commencing on May 1 and ending September 30, or employment by a governmental entity in a recreational program or service during the period commencing on May 1 and ending September 30, except that “seasonal employment” does not include employment of employees engaged to labor on a farm on either a piece-rate or regular hourly rate basis.”
Agricultural workers, long-term care facility workers, direct care workers, and tipped workers are on separate minimum wage schedules and, in some instances, with additional employer obligations.
More information on the state minimum wage, including a FAQ, may be found on the DOL website.
Contact: Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst, eknoedler@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x116.