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New Jersey Statewide Rule

New Jersey Minimum Wage and Local Preemption Framework

Heavy RestrictionsApplies statewide across New Jersey (2026)

Key Facts

Authority: NJSA 34:11-56a
Authority: NJSA 34:11-56a New Jersey Wage and Hour Law
$15/hour Reached for
$15/hour reached for most employees by January 2024
Small Employer and
Small employer and agricultural phase-ins extend timeline
Annual CPI Adjustments
Annual CPI adjustments after target reached
DOLWD Enforces with
DOLWD enforces with back wages and liquidated damages
Last verified: September 5, 2026Source: Justia Law

Summary

New Jersey sets a uniform statewide minimum wage under NJSA 34:11-56a, scheduled to reach $15 per hour, with limited authority for municipalities to enact higher local wage floors.

34:11-56a4 Minimum wage rate; exceptions. 5. a. Except as provided in subsections c., d., e. g., and i. of this section, each employer shall pay to each of his employees wages at a rate of not less than $8.85 per hour as of January 1, 2019 and, on January 1 of 2020 and January 1 of each subsequent year, the minimum wage shall be increased by any increase in the consumer price index for all urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) as calculated by the federal government for the 12 months prior to the September 30 preceding that January 1, except that any of the following rates shall apply if it exceeds the rate determined in accordance with the applicable increase in the CPI-W for the indicated year: on July 1, 2019, the minimum wage shall be $10.00 per hour; on January 1, 2020, the minimum wage shall be $11.00 per hour; and on January 1 of each year from 2021 to 2024, inclusive, the minimum wage shall be increased from the rate of the preceding year by $1.00 per hour.

Full Breakdown

The New Jersey Wage and Hour Law, NJSA 34:11-56a et seq., establishes the statewide minimum wage. Under P.L. 2019, c.32, the wage rose incrementally to reach $15 per hour for most employees by 2024, with longer phase-ins for small employers, seasonal workers, and agricultural laborers. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development enforces compliance and adjusts the wage for inflation thereafter. State law generally occupies the field on minimum wage, leaving little room for municipal wage ordinances applicable to private employers, though some local public-sector wage rules persist.

Violations & Penalties

Failure to pay the lawful minimum wage exposes employers to back wages, liquidated damages up to 200%, civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation, and possible disorderly persons charges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a New Jersey city set its own minimum wage?
State law largely preempts municipal minimum wage rules for private employers; local ordinances generally cannot impose lower or conflicting standards.
Are tipped workers covered by the $15 minimum wage?
Tipped employees have a separate cash wage with a tip credit, but total compensation must reach the standard minimum wage when tips are included.

Sources

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