New York State's Minimum Wage Increase Starts January 2026

Minimum wage workers in New York State will soon receive a raise. The raise will take effect on January 1, 2026.

In the face of steadily rising costs and inflation, this historic plan to overhaul New York's minimum wage will ensure that the wages of those hit hardest by the affordability crisis - including women, single mothers, and people of color - keep pace with the cost of living. ~ Governor Hochul

KEEP READING: Here's How Low New York's Minimum Wage Was 60 Years Ago

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Many states still have the federal minimum wage, which is stupidly low, especially now that inflation is kicking everyone's butt. It's unbelievable that 20 states still use the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, as of 2026. Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming expect working people to survive on just over $7 per hour. I'm not sure why the politicians in those places have so much faith that corporations are going to do the right thing and pay workers a living wage without it being regulated. Prices of everything are increasing, but the payrate is still super low.

It's astonishing that the federal minimum wage has remained unchanged at $7.25 per hour. How can a person survive on $7.25 per hour with all of the inflation we have faced this year? If you work 10 hours per day, that's only $72.50, before taxes. Many people are trying to support families with those wages. I'm glad I live in New York, where the government makes companies pay people a living wage, versus a southern state that thinks $7.25 per hour is a livable wage.

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