New Jersey Minimum Wage for 2023 Is $14.13 for Most Employees

Effective January 1, 2023, New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage is $14.13 for most employees. A law signed in 2019 gradually raises the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024 for most employees, increasing it by $1 per hour each year—more if warranted because of significant increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Once the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour, it will continue to increase annually based on any increase in the CPI.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) sets the minimum wage for the coming year using the rate specified in the law or a calculation based on the CPI, whichever is higher.

Seasonal and small employers were given until 2026 to pay their workers $15 per hour. The minimum hourly wage for these employees increased to $12.93 per hour, up from $11.90.
Agricultural workers are guided by a separate minimum wage timetable and were given until 2027 to reach the $15 per hour minimum wage. Employees who work on a farm for an hourly or piece-rate wage saw their minimum hourly wage increase to $12.01, up from $11.05. Additionally, long-term care facility direct care staff saw their minimum wage rise by $1.13, to $17.13.

Tipped workers’ cash wage increased to $5.26/hour, with employers able to claim an $8.87 tip credit, an increase in the maximum allowable tip credit of $1. If the minimum cash wage plus an employee’s tips do not equal at least the state minimum wage, then the employer must pay the employee the difference. See Tipped Workers in NJ: Rights and Protections (from the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development) for more information.

New Jersey employers are also required to give their state employees notices about the employees’ rights under certain state and federal laws. These notices need to be posted and followed.

This information last reviewed: Feb 8, 2023