The state of New Jersey has a minimum wage for most types of workers at $15.49 per hour in 2025. The rates are lower for small and seasonal employers, agricultural workers, and tipped employees. There also exists a higher special rate for certain long‑term care staff. These rates are set by state law and are adjusted annually for inflation, and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) is responsible for the enforcement of the above.
What Is The New Jersey Minimum Wage
For most non‑tipped workers, New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage is $15.49 per hour as of 1 January 2025. This rate is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which means eligible workers in New Jersey are paid at the state rate, not the federal one (as established by the legislation).
The NJDOL publishes current wage rates and compliance information on its official “Wage and Hour Laws and Regulations” page. This is the primary source employers and workers should check for updates. From 2025 onward, the statewide rate is also indexed to the Consumer Price Index, so it can automatically rise each year even without a new statute in line with it.
You can review the official wage information directly on the NJDOL site.
Why the New Jersey Minimum Wage Matters
New Jersey’s minimum wage law is functionally designed to give low‑wage workers a baseline standard of pay that better reflects the state’s cost of living than the federal floor. This is because wages are indexed to inflation, which provides workers with a measure of protection against the gradual erosion of their purchasing power over time.
The law provides a predictable schedule of increases and clear exemptions for employers. This helps with payroll planning and budgeting. Simultaneously, non-compliance can lead to back-pay liability and civil penalties if caught.
Therefore, understanding the different categories of workers and their corresponding rates is essential.
City and Region-Specific Rules
The state has a single, statewide New Jersey minimum wage. Individual cities and counties do not set their own higher local minimum wage rates. Some larger cities in other states, such as Seattle or San Francisco, are under separate ordinances above the state level. New Jersey municipalities are unlike that and do not have separate rates above the state level.
A covered worker in Newark, Trenton, or any other New Jersey city is generally entitled to at least $15.49 per hour, according to what we just discussed. This is subject to the specific exemptions for employer size, industry, or worker type, which we will describe below.
Minimum Wage and Employer Size
The State of New Jersey differentiates minimum wage rates based on employer size and seasonality as well. According to the law, in 2025, employers with fewer than six employees and certain seasonal employers may pay a lower minimum wage than the standard statewide rate.
- Most employers (six or more employees) have to pay at least $15.49 per hour for non‑tipped workers.
- Small and seasonal employers (fewer than six employees, or seasonal as defined by law) should be paid at least $14.53 per hour in 2025.
These differential rates were built into the 2019 law itself. It was in that law that the $15 minimum wage was ratified and phased in, giving small and seasonal employers a longer, comfortable timetable to reach wage equality.
Over time, these lower tiers are scheduled by mandate to catch up with the general minimum wage. This is, of course, subject to further statutory changes and inflation adjustments, as is economically prudent.
Industry‑Specific Rates
Certain worker categories have their own New Jersey minimum wage (cash wage) rules in 2025.
| Worker category | Minimum cash wage (per hour) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most non‑tipped employees (standard employers) | $15.49 per hour | Statewide base rate for covered workers. |
| Small and seasonal employers (fewer than six employees) | $14.53 per hour | Transitional rate; scheduled to rise in steps. |
| Agricultural workers | $13.40 per hour | Separate phase‑in schedule under state law. |
| Tipped employees | $5.62 per hour | Employers must ensure tips plus cash wage reach at least $15.49 per hour. |
| Direct care staff in long‑term care facilities | $16 per hour | Higher mandated minimum recognizing staffing needs. |
Tipped workers are a key group. While their cash wage can be as low as $5.62 per hour, their total hourly earnings, including tips, must reach at least the full applicable minimum wage as legislated, and employers are responsible for making up any shortfall. Agricultural workers also follow a distinct schedule, with rates set below the standard minimum but subject to their own planned increases.
A Brief History
New Jersey adopted its own minimum wage decades ago, but a major turning point came in 2013, when voters approved a constitutional amendment. This amendment raised the rate and tied all future increases to inflation. The minimum wage then subsequently rose in 2014 to $8.25 per hour, with subsequent modest increases in the mid‑2010s.
In February 2019, it was Governor Phil Murphy who signed legislation to gradually raise the minimum wage. This was applicable to most workers to $15 per hour by 2024. Under that law, the rate rose to $10 in 2019, and continued upward until it crossed the $15 threshold and reached $15.49 in 2025. This is fixed through the inflation‑indexing mechanism.
The NJDOL also tracks and publishes these historical rates, and data from the Federal Reserve’s FRED database confirms the progression of New Jersey’s state minimum wage, which hit a series high of $15.49 per hour in January 2025.
| Year | New Jersey Minimum Wage (per hour) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15.49 | Effective January 1. |
| 2024 | $15.13 | |
| 2023 | $14.13 | |
| 2022 | $13.00 | |
| 2021 | $12.00 | |
| 2020 | $11.00 | |
| 2019 | $10.00 | |
| 2018 | $8.60 | Rate began indexing to CPI. |
| 2017 | $8.44 | |
| 2016 | $8.38 | |
| 2015 | $8.38 | |
| 2014 | $8.25 | |
| 2013 | $7.25 | |
| 2012 | $7.25 | |
| 2011 | $7.25 | |
| 2010 | $7.25 | |
| 2009 | $7.15 | |
| 2008 | $7.15 | |
| 2007 | $7.15 | |
| 2006 | $6.15 | |
| 2005 | $6.15 |
FAQs
1. What is the Minimum Wage in New Jersey in 2025?
For most non‑tipped workers employed by businesses with six or more employees, the minimum wage is $15.49 per hour in 2025.
2. Does the New Jersey Minimum Wage differ for different cities?
No. New Jersey uses a standard statewide minimum wage. Cities do not currently set higher local minimum wage rates above the state level.
3. Are small businesses allowed to pay less than $15.49 per hour, legally speaking?
A select few small employers with fewer than six employees and some seasonal employers may pay at least $14.53 per hour. This was in effect from 2025. It is also subject to detailed definitions and conditions in state law.
4. How much do tipped employees have to be paid in the State?
The minimum cash wage in NJ for most tipped employees is $5.62 per hour. However, total earnings, including tips, must definitely reach at least the full applicable minimum wage. Otherwise, the employer must make up the difference.
5. Where can employers and workers verify the latest official rates?
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development maintains current minimum wage information, including posters and factual guidance. You can check it out by clicking the hyperlink above and visiting the related wage and hour pages.