New minimum wage hike in New York: how much will it be and when will the increase be applied?

New York State is preparing to raise its minimum wage and it will be one of the highest in the country. Furthermore it will be more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which has not increased in 15 years.

New York City and other parts of NY will also raise their minimum wage. Here’s when the measure will take effect and what the new amounts will be

New York’s minimum wage hike: How much will it be and when will the increase take effect?

Currently, New York State has two different minimum wages, one that applies to New York City, Long Island and Westchester County and another for workers in the rest of the state. Both will increase next year.

The minimum wage in NYC, Long Island and Westchester County is $16 per hour, while the minimum wage in the rest of the state is $15 per hour.

Starting January 1, 2025, the minimum wage in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County will rise to $16.50 per hour. In the rest of New York State, the minimum wage will rise to $15.50, making it one of the highest in the country.

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New York’s minimum wage will rise by 50 cents in 2026

The increase scheduled for 2025 will not be the only one. In 2023, the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul reported that the minimum wage will have an automatic increase of an additional $0.50 starting January 1, 2026.

Thus, by 2026, the minimum wage in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County will rise to $17 per hour. In the rest of the state, it will rise to $16, a figure more than double the federal minimum wage.

The good news for workers is that minimum wage increases don’t stop there. Starting in 2027, minimum wage increases will be calculated based on inflation so as not to affect employees’ purchasing power, specifically based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Office Workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast region.