The New Jersey minimum wage for 2026 and 2027, the tipped and youth rates, and how the rate is set each year. Every figure links to its official source below.
| Rate | 2026 (now) | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard minimum wage | $15.92 | $16.48 |
| Small employers (fewer than 6 employees) and seasonal employees | $15.23 | $16.25 |
| Tipped employees (minimum cash wage) Plus tips, which must bring the total up to the full minimum wage. | $6.05 | $6.61 |
| Farm workers (hourly or piece-rate) | $14.20 | $15.00 |
Current rate in effect since January 1, 2026; next statewide change: the rate rises to $16.48 on January 1, 2027.
Employers with fewer than six employees and seasonal employees have a lower statutory rate: $15.23 now and $16.25 from January 1, 2027.
The minimum cash wage for tipped workers is $6.05 an hour in 2026 and $6.61 from January 1, 2027, with the maximum tip credit staying at $9.87. If the cash wage plus tips do not reach the state minimum wage, the employer must pay the difference.
The Department of Labor's FAQ lists minors under 18 among the workers outside minimum wage protection, with exceptions for minors working in retail, food service, the first processing of farm products, beauty culture, laundry, cleaning and dyeing, light manufacturing and apparel, and hotel and motel occupations.
This page lists no city or county minimum wages for New Jersey; the state rate is the one the Department of Labor publishes.
New Jersey's constitution (Article I, Paragraph 23) requires the minimum wage to be adjusted each year by the increase in the CPI-W. The Department sets the next rate around September 30, and published the 2027 rate on September 29, 2026. Small and seasonal employers and farm workers are on longer statutory schedules that end in 2028 and 2030; after that their rates also rise with the CPI-W.
What does $15.92 an hour leave you after tax in New Jersey? Run it through the paycheck calculator.
Open the paycheck calculator →Every state side by side: minimum wage by state 2026 and minimum wage by state 2027.
$16.90 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$15.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$11.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$13.73 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$15.15 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$15.16 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$17.13 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$15.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$17.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$16.94 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$7.25 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$11.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$12.77 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$15.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
$15.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.
Every 2026 state minimum wage vs the $7.25 federal floor, DOL-sourced, all 50 states + DC + territories
Every 2027 state minimum wage vs the $7.25 federal floor, official-source verified, all 50 states + DC + territories
Federal, state, FICA withholding, net take-home, W-4 alignment
Convert annual salary to hourly wage, part-time calculations