Higher NJ minimum wage now in force

Most low-wage workers will be paid $15.49 an hour

Raven Santana, Correspondent | January 2, 2025 | Business, More Issues

New Jersey rang in the new year with a new minimum wage. Starting Jan. 1, most low-wage employees are getting a 36 cent increase to $15.49 an hour. The increase is part of a scheduled hike due to a bill that Gov. Phil Murphy signed in 2018 when the state’s minimum wage was $8.60.

Under the law, seasonal and small business employees won’t see the same increase until 2028. Those employees’ wages rose from $13.73 to $14.53 an hour.

Worker advocates are supporting a new push to increase the minimum wage in New Jersey to $20 an hour, a move that some in the business community do not support.