Minimum wage in New York, 2000–2027
- Minimum wage in 2026
$16 an hour1
Rest of the state shown; New York City, Long Island and Westchester: $17.00.
- On January 1, 2027
$16 an hour, no change2
The source sets the same rate for 2027.
- Overtime
Premium pay after 40 hours a week3
- New York City minimum wage
$17 an hour4
Per New York State Department of Labor: “$17.00 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County”
- New York City from Jan 1, 2027
$17 an hour2
No increase on January 1, 2027, per Office of the Governor of New York.
The New York state-law minimum wage rose from $4.25 in 2000 to $16 in 2026; the federal rate applied where higher
Line chart of the New York minimum wage against the federal minimum: $4.25 in 2000, $7.25 in 2010, $11.80 in 2020, $16 in 2026, and $16 in 2027. The federal minimum was $5.15 in 2000 and $7.25 in 2026.
What a full-time minimum-wage employee costs in New York
At $16 an hour for 40 hours a week, a new employer with 10 staff pays $33,280 in wages and $3,955 on top (11.9%) in payroll taxes and workers' comp. At the 2027 rate of $16 with 2026 payroll tax rates: $37,235 a year.
- Wages (2,080 paid hours a year)
- $33,280
- Social Security (employer share)6.2%6 of $33,280
- $2,063
- Medicare (employer share)1.45%7 of $33,280
- $483
- Workers' compensation (benchmark index rate)$1.98 per $100 of payroll10
- $659
- Total a year
- $37,235
If you also offer single health coverage, the average employer here pays about $8,682 more a year: a $10,913 average premium11 less $2,231 paid by the employee11.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in New York in 2026?
$16 an hour (Rest of the state shown; New York City, Long Island and Westchester: $17.00): $33,280 a year at full time.
What will the minimum wage be in New York in 2027?
$16 an hour on January 1, 2027, the same as in 2026: $33,280 for a full-time year.
How much does a minimum-wage employee cost an employer in New York?
About $37,235 a year full time at $16: $33,280 of pay plus $3,955 on top, $3,296 in payroll taxes and $659 in workers' comp, before any health coverage.
How has the New York minimum wage changed since 2000?
The New York state-law minimum wage rose from $4.25 in 2000 to $16 in 2026; the federal rate applied where higher. On the way: $7.25 in 2010 and $11.80 in 2020, per the U.S. DOL.
More minimum wage and employer cost pages
Employer costs in New York
States with a similar minimum wage
Data and rules for every state
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.
Quotes from the sources
- New York State Department of Labor dol.ny.gov/minimum-wage-0“The minimum wage rates will be: $17.00 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County $16.00 per hour in the rest of New York State”
- Office of the Governor of New York governor.ny.gov/new-york-state-minimum-wage-2027“One of the off-ramps conditions has been met for 2027, so the minimum wage will not receive an inflation-based increase on January 1, 2027.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“New York … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $17.00 (New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, & Westchester County); $16.00 (remainder of the state) … 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.”
- New York State Department of Labor dol.ny.gov/minimum-wage“$17.00 per hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County”
- 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 York 1.60 1.60 1.85 2.30 2.90 3.10 3.35 … New York 3.35 3.80 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 … New York 4.25 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 6.00 6.75 … New York 7.15 7.15 7.15 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … New York 8.00 8.75 9.00 9.70 10.40 11.80 … New York 11.80 12.50 13.20 14.20 15.00” “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”
- 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).”
- 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.”
- 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.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“New employer rate shown is the base rate. … NY … 4.025%” “NY … $17,600”
- 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 … 3 4 New York 1.98 182%”
- 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 York 10,913 13,593 10,803 10,515 11,058 10,708 11,804 10,760” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … New York 2,231 2,684 * 3,244 2,536 2,985 1,696 2,885 2,119”