Florida's minimum wage hits $15 on September 30
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The last $1 step of a 2020 ballot measure. After this one, the yearly raises stop and inflation takes over.
Florida's minimum wage goes up to $15 an hour on Wednesday, September 30. It's the last of the $1-a-year raises that voters approved in 2020.
The minimum cash wage for tipped workers rises to $11.98 an hour, according to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Employers can count $3.02 an hour of tips toward the full $15, which is where the difference comes from.
The current rate, in place since September 30, 2025, is $14. For someone working full time, 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, the extra dollar works out to $2,080 more a year before taxes. A full-time year at $15 comes to $31,200.
The raise traces back to Amendment 2, which Florida voters passed on November 3, 2020, with 60.82% of the vote. Constitutional amendments in Florida need 60% to pass, so it cleared the bar by less than a point. The measure set the wage at $10 on September 30, 2021, and added $1 every September 30 after that until it reached $15 this year.
That's where the scheduled raises end. From now on the wage follows inflation. The state will calculate the first adjustment on September 30, 2027, using a consumer price index that tracks wage earners and clerical workers, and the new rate will take effect January 1, 2028, the FRLA said. So after this week, the next increase is more than 15 months away, and its size depends on how much prices rise between now and then.
Florida's rate is more than double the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour since July 24, 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The new rate applies statewide, from Miami to Tampa to Orlando. Businesses are required to display state and federal employment law posters where employees can easily see them, and FloridaCommerce publishes the minimum wage poster in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
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Frequently asked
What is Florida's minimum wage in 2026?
Florida's minimum wage is $14 an hour until September 30, 2026, when it rises to $15. The minimum cash wage for tipped employees rises to $11.98 on the same date, with employers counting $3.02 an hour of tips toward the full wage.
When will Florida's minimum wage go up again after $15?
Not until January 1, 2028. After reaching $15, the wage adjusts for inflation. The state calculates the first adjustment on September 30, 2027, using the CPI for urban wage earners and clerical workers, and it takes effect the following January.
How much is $15 an hour per year?
About $31,200 before taxes for a full-time worker, based on 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. The $1 increase from $14 adds roughly $2,080 a year for someone working full time.