New Jersey’s hourly minimum wage will rise to $15.92 after the latest automatic inflation adjustment occurs with the start of the new year Thursday.
The 2026 increase raises New Jersey’s minimum wage by 43 cents per hour for most classes of workers. That exceeds the 36-cent increase that went into effect at the start of 2025.
Minimum wages for some workers will lag behind that figure. State law requires seasonal employees and those working for employers with fewer than six workers to be paid at least $15.23, up from $14.53 in 2025.
The wage floor for those workers will continue to rise through 2028, at which point their minimum wage will equal the one applied to most workers.
