Do you know the 2026 New York minimum wage? Actually, there are different minimum wages for different parts of the state and different industries. Employers must be ready by the end of the year to meet the new requirements that apply to their employees.
The 2026 New York minimum wage rates are shaded in blue in the tables below. The changes take effect on January 1, 2026.
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New York Minimum Wage Guide for current data and long-term trends.
Standard New York Minimum Wage
The 2026 New York minimum wage again varies by geographic location and sometimes by industry.
For most private employers, the 2026 New York minimum wage in the following chart applies. This chart also applies for non-teaching employees of public school districts or a BOCES. However, there is no New York minimum wage for other employees of public (governmental) employers (but the federal minimum wage of $7.25 still applies in those cases).
The chart also shows the 2025 rate for comparison.
| Location | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| NYC, Long Island, & Westchester | $16.50 | $17.00 |
| Remainder of New York State | $15.50 | $16.00 |
* After 2026, future New York minimum wage increases will occur based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region. In other words, the minimum wage will be indexed to inflation.
We’ve created a unique minimum wage impact calculator to help you evaluate what the increase will mean for your business.
Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees in the Hospitality Industry
New York State maintains separate minimum wage rules for employees in the hospitality industry (restaurants, hotels). The base (non-tipped) minimum wage for those workers follows the general schedule above. But for certain tipped employees, employers may count a portion of gratuities toward meeting the wage requirement (the “tip credit”).
New York has distinct cash wage + tip credit schedules for two classes of tipped hospitality employees: food service workers and service employees.
Food Service Workers
A food service worker is any employee who is primarily engaged in serving food or beverages to guests, patrons, or customers in the hospitality industry who regularly receive tips. This includes wait staff, bartenders, captains, and busing personnel. It does not include delivery workers.
| Location | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| NYC, Long Island, & Westchester | $11.00 Cash / $5.50 Tip | $11.35 Cash / $5.65 Tip |
| Remainder of New York State | $10.35 Cash / $5.15 Tip | $10.70 Cash / $5.30 Tip |
Service Employees
The next schedule applies to other service employees. A service employee is one who is not a food service worker or fast food employee who customarily receives tips above an applicable tip threshold (which also follows schedules, not shown here).
| Location | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| NYC, Long Island, & Westchester | $13.75 Cash / $2.75 Tip | $14.15 Cash / $2.85 Tip |
| Remainder of New York State | $12.90 Cash / $2.60 Tip | $13.30 Cash / $2.70 Tip |
Overtime Threshold
Alongside minimum wage increases, the salary thresholds for New York’s executive and administrative exemptions from overtime also rise effective January 1, 2026. These state thresholds are above the federal FLSA threshold of $684/week.
There is no salary requirement for New York’s professional exemption. However, employers must also satisfy the FLSA threshold for most professional employees. Doctors, lawyers, and teachers do not have a salary requirement for exemption.
| Location | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| NYC, Long Island, & Westchester | $1,237.50 | $1,275.00 |
| Remainder of New York State | $1,161.65 | $1,199.10 |
Prepare Now for the 2026 New York Minimum Wage
New York employers should begin reviewing and updating their compensation plans now to comply effective January 1, 2026.
You may need to:
- Increase hourly wages for employees currently near or below the new rates;
- Adjust the cash wage component for tipped employees (ensuring the tip credit is properly applied);
- Review exempt classifications to ensure salaries meet the new thresholds; and
- Reclassify some employees from exempt to nonexempt if their salary will not satisfy the new requirement.
And remember: the 2026 New York minimum wage rates are only the next step. Starting in 2027, minimum wage increases are projected to be tied to inflation (via CPI-W) unless an “off-ramp” is triggered.
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