Minimum Wages: An Analysis of Florida State

Florida Minimum Wage Rate

As of the end of September 2025, the statewide minimum wage in Florida is fixed at $14.00 per hour for non-tipped employees; $10.98 per hour cash-wage for tipped employees. It is required that the tips bring the total pay to at least $14.00 per hour.

This rate is derived from Florida’s official 2025 Minimum Wage Notice to Employees, issued by the Florida Department of Commerce. It is also in agreement with the voter-approved plan in Amendment 2, which raises the minimum wage by $1 each year until it reaches $15.00 on September 30, 2026.

Minimum Wage in Florida and Why It Is Important

Florida’s minimum wage is set in Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution, and implemented through the Florida Minimum Wage Act (s. 448.110, Florida Statutes).

Its key postulates are -

• The state of Florida defines “Florida minimum wage” as the minimum hourly rate employers must pay covered employees under the state constitution and implementing law.
• It must publish an official minimum wage poster yearly, which employers are required to display in a conspicuous location.

In practice,

• For workers, the minimum wage sets a legal floor (set based on multiple socio-economic factors) under hourly pay and provides a clear basis for claims if they are underpaid.

For employers, it is a compliance obligation. Underpaying can lead to back wages, damages, and civil penalties, as outlined in Florida’s notice and statutes, which is undesirable.

County-Wise Florida Minimum Wage Rates

If you’re wondering whether Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, Orlando, Jacksonville, or any other county has a different minimum wage in 2025, the short and straight answer is summed up by the following statement -

For most private employers, the minimum wage is the same in every Florida county: $14.00 per hour (and $10.98 for tipped employees).

Florida’s law actively preempts local governments from setting their own minimum wage for private-sector employers. It first did this in 2003, and subsequent legislation and court decisions have confirmed that counties and cities may not establish a higher local minimum wage for private employers.

House Bill 433 in 2024 went even further by restricting local governments from using their contracting or purchasing power. This indirectly controlled the wages and employment benefits of the businesses they worked with.

Local governments can still make certain decisions for their own direct employees, but not for ordinary businesses operating in any county. The applicable minimum wage comes from state law, not county ordinances.

Minimum Wage in Florida Cities Based on Employee Count

Some states have different minimum wages based on the size of the employer (for example, separate rates for small and large employers).

The U.S. Department of Labor’s state comparison table shows those distinctions clearly for states like Ohio and Oklahoma. That table lists only one statewide basic minimum rate and does not distinguish between small and large employers for the state of Florida itself.

For 2025,

• A small retail shop in Pensacola and a large hotel in Miami are both subject to the same $14.00 minimum wage for non-tipped workers (and $10.98 for tipped workers). This is provided that the workers are covered employees under Florida’s minimum wage provisions.

There are no Florida-specific rules that set a lower minimum wage simply because an employer has fewer employees. Differences in coverage usually come from federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rules and not from Florida creating its own tiers by headcount.

Florida Minimum Wage Rate by Industry

The state does not set different state minimum wage rates for most industries. A single state-wide minimum wage is applied for non-tipped employees. A lower cash wage is retrospectively applied for employees who are tipped (e.g., many restaurant workers in the hospitality industry).

The fixed tip credit of $3.02 per hour means that tipped workers must still reach the full minimum wage when tips are included.

Differences can arise from federal law, which can be industry-specific:

• Under the FLSA rules, some categories of workers, such as bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees, are exempt from minimum wage requirements.
• Florida-based employers that perform certain work on federal contracts may be subject to separate federal contractor minimum wage rules. These are directly issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.

For 2025, those rates for covered federal contractors are governed by Executive Order 13658, with a minimum of $13.30 per hour for certain contracts. This is separate from Florida law.

In everyday terms, we can say that unless you fall into a specific federal exemption or a specialized federal-contractor category, the same Florida minimum wage applies uniformly, regardless of industry.

History of Florida’s Minimum Wage Rates

Florida has had its own minimum wage since voters approved a landmark constitutional amendment in 2004. This directed the state to set a minimum wage above the federal level and adjust it annually for inflation.

A second major change came with Amendment 2. This was passed by voters on November 3, 2020, which created a six-year path to a $15.00 minimum wage. From September 30th 2021, when it was $10 per hour, it is mandated to become $15 per hour next year.

After 2026, the constitution has directed that Florida’s minimum wage has to be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is similar to the approach described in Florida’s minimum wage poster statute.

FAQs

1. What is the minimum wage in Florida as of 2025?

From September 30, 2025, the statewide minimum wage is $14.00 per hour for non-tipped employees and $10.98 per hour for tipped employees. They must still earn at least $14.00 per hour when the tips are included.

2. Is the minimum wage different in Miami, Orlando, or Jacksonville?

Florida law preempts cities and counties from setting their own higher local minimum wage for private employers. The same rate is uniformly applied in all cities across the state, without disparity.

3. How often does Florida’s minimum wage change?

Under Amendment 2, voters have ensured that the wage increases incrementally by $1 each through September 30, 2026. It will be adjusted annually based on inflation using the Consumer Price Index.

4. Where can I verify the current official rate?

You can cross-check the latest rate at the Florida Department of Commerce minimum wage notice and employer posters or on the U.S. Department of Labor’s State Minimum Wage page for Florida here.