New Jersey’s minimum wage set to exceed Pennsylvania’s by more than double.
New Jersey is set to implement a notable increase in its minimum wage, effective Thursday, with the new hourly rate established at .92. This adjustment reflects a [or_text model=”openai/gpt-4o-mini” prompt=”Rewrite this article in the professional, objective style of top newspapers like NY Times, expanding to at least 350 words. Ensure it’s SEO-friendly, plagiarism-free, and replace the source with “Media News Source” and dont mention author name. Do not include quotation marks or any code in the output.:
New Jersey’s minimum wage will increase on Thursday.
The new rate of $15.92 an hour is a $0.43 increase from the previous standard, which was set in 2025.
“Eight years ago, Governor Murphy pledged a stronger, fairer economy, and we’re delivering on this commitment by raising New Jersey’s minimum wage again,” Robert Asaro-Angelo, commissioner of the state’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said in October. “This increase will provide vital support to all Garden State workers by making the dream of a livable wage reality.”
New Jersey is among 19 states that will set new minimum wages Jan. 1, because of scheduled increases or adjustments for inflation.
In 2019, New Jersey lawmakers passed legislation to increase the standard to $15 by 2024, joining California, Massachusetts, New York and the District of Columbia which were also progressively introducing the new standard. At the time, the minimum wage in New Jersey was $8.85 per hour.
A single adult without a child needs to make $26.20 per hour in New Jersey to afford their basic needs as of Feb. 2025, according to a living wage calculator developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Agricultural workers in New Jersey have a separate wage standard and will see an increase from $13.40 to $14.20 in January.
For tipped workers, the minimum hourly wage will increase from $5.62 to $6.05. But when combined with their tips, these workers should have a total hourly wage of at least $15.92.
Employees at seasonal and small businesses will see wages rise from $14.53 to $15.23. The state has a different scale for these employers to lessen the impact of the raises.
What’s the minimum wage in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has gone unchanged since 2009, despite efforts to increase it. The federal minimum wage was last increased in 2009 to $7.25.
In Pennsylvania, a single adult without a child needs to make $22.91 per hour to afford their basic needs, according to the MIT calculator.
As of July, other states following the federal minimum wage were: Idaho, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and New Hampshire.
Advocates have also sought legislation to allow Philadelphia to set its own minimum wage separate from the state’s. That’s currently prohibited by law.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has supported raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, and Rep. G. Roni Green (D., Philadelphia) and Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D., Philadelphia) introduced state legislation this year to raise the minimum wage. Both bills were referred to legislative committees in April.
“].43 rise from the previous standard, a move designed to enhance the income of workers throughout the state.
The announcement comes as part of New Jersey’s continued efforts to bolster its economy and support living wages for its workforce. In October, Robert Asaro-Angelo, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to this cause, highlighting the significance of the increase in enabling workers to obtain a more livable wage. New Jersey is among 19 states that will experience similar adjustments to minimum wage standards as various regions initiate scheduled increases or amend wages to account for inflation.
The recent wage hike builds on legislation passed in 2019, which mandated a gradual increase to per hour by 2024. At that time, the state’s minimum wage was significantly lower at .85 per hour. This escalation places New Jersey in alignment with other progressive states, including California, Massachusetts, and New York, all of which have also embarked on similar wage reform initiatives.
According to a living wage calculator developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an individual without dependents in New Jersey would need to earn approximately .20 per hour to meet their basic needs as of February 2025. This stark figure underscores the challenges faced by many workers in the state, despite the recent wage increases.
In addition to the general wage increase, specific categories of workers will see adjusted rates. For instance, agricultural workers will experience a wage rise from .40 to .20 starting in January, while tipped employees will see their minimum wage increase from .62 to .05 per hour. It is important to note that tipped workers should combine their earnings with tips to meet or exceed the new minimum of .92 per hour.
Conversely, employees at seasonal and smaller businesses will see a wage increase from .53 to .23. This tailored approach reflects the state’s acknowledgment of the unique economic pressures smaller employers might face.
In sharp contrast, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has remained stagnant since 2009 at .25 per hour, leaving advocates for wage reform in the state to seek legislative change. The demand for raising the minimum wage has gained traction among local lawmakers and community groups who argue for the necessity of aligning wages more closely with the cost of living.
