New Jersey Minimum Wage in 2026: $15.92 an hour, $16.48 in 2027

Sources

The 11 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

1. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2025/20251001_Minimum_Wage.shtml“New Jersey's statewide minimum wage will increase by $0.43 to $15.92 per hour for most employees, effective January 1, 2026.”
2. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/press/2026/20260929_min_wage.shtml“New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage will increase by $0.56 to $16.48 per hour for most employees, effective January 1, 2027.”
3. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped“Definition of Tipped Employee by Minimum Tips received (monthly unless otherwise specified) … State requires employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the minimum cash wage required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ($2.13/hour) … New Jersey 6 $15.92 $9.87 $6.05 More than $30”
4. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“New Jersey … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $15.92 … Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 … The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.”
5. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Changes in Basic Minimum Wages in Non-Farm Employment Under State Law: Selected Years 1968 to 2024“New Jersey 1.40 1.50 1.50 2.20 2.50 3.10 3.35 … New Jersey 3.35 3.80 4.25 5.05 5.05 5.05 5.05 … New Jersey 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 6.15 … New Jersey 7.15 7.15 7.15 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … New Jersey 8.25 8.38 8.38 8.44 8.60 11.00 … New Jersey 11.00 12.00 13.00 14.13 15.13” “Federal (FLSA) $1.15 & $1.60 $1.30 & $1.60 $1.60 $2.20 & $2.30 $2.90 $3.10 $3.35 … Federal (FLSA) $3.35 $3.80 $4.25 $4.25 $4.25 $4.75 $5.15 … Federal (FLSA) $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 5.15 … Federal (FLSA) 5.15 5.85 6.55 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25”
6. Internal Revenue Service IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide“For 2026, the social security tax rate is 6.2% (amount withheld) each for the employer and employee (12.4% total).”
7. Social Security Administration ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html“Tax rates under the HI program are 1.45 percent for employees and employers, each, and 2.90 percent for self-employed persons.”
8. Internal Revenue Service Topic no. 759, Form 940 – FUTA tax (IRS)“If you're entitled to the maximum 5.4% credit, the FUTA tax rate after credit is 0.6%.” “FUTA tax rate: The FUTA tax rate is 6.0%. The tax applies to the first $7,000 you paid to each employee as wages during the year.”
9. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development nj.gov/labor/ea/employer-services/rate-info“New Employer U.I. D.I. W.F./S.W.F. F.L.I 0.026825 0.00500 0.001175 0.000000 July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 … New Employer U.I. D.I. W.F./S.W.F. F.L.I 0.026825 0.00500 0.001175 0.000000 July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026” “2026 Taxable Wage Base ( UI and WF/SWF - workers and employers, TDI – employers ): $44,800”
10. Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/cost/Pages/premium-index-rates.aspx“Premium index rate: Over $1.50 … State Index rate Percent of study median … 2 1 New Jersey 2.16 198%”
11. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MEPS-IC) meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/summ_tables/insr/state/series_2/2025/ic25_iia_f.pdf“Table II.C.1 Average total single premium (in dollars) per enrolled employee … Division and State Total … New Jersey 9,743 10,652 11,022 10,355 9,938 8,908 10,415 9,552” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … New Jersey 2,223 1,553 * 2,300 * 4,109 1,662 2,220 2,698 2,088”