Minimum wage goes to $15 an hour starting Jan. 1

The minimum wage will go to $15 an hour for upstate counties beginning Jan. 1, up from the current $14.20.

The minimum increased from $13.20 to $14.20 on Dec. 31, 2022, and now moves to $15 for upstate counties. It will be $16 per hour in New York City, Westchester and Long Island.

“On January 1, we are lifting New York’s minimum wage to help hard-working New Yorkers keep up with rising costs and continue supporting their families,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “If you are a minimum wage worker and you don’t see this increase in your paycheck next year, I urge you to file a wage complaint with the Department of Labor to make sure that you are getting the wage increase you deserve.”

As part of an agreement in the current state budget, the minimum wage will increase another 50 cents in both 2025 and 2026, and then be indexed to inflation beginning in 2027.

The New York State Department of Labor will begin a public awareness effort to remind New Yorkers about the minimum wage increase and encourage minimum wage workers to report missing wages, Hochul’s office said. That effort will include digital outreach through social media, newsletters, and e-mail communications and direct outreach to distribute informational flyers with partnering organizations.