Effective January 1, 2026 the minimum wage rate for employees in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County will increase to $17 per hour. The rate for the remainder of New York State will increase to $16 per hour.
The minimum wage for tipped food service workers will increase to $11.35 with a tip credit of $5.65 for employees in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County with the same rates increasing to $10.70/$5.30 for the remainder of the state.
Tipped service workers not in food service in downstate New York will be entitled to an hourly minimum of $14.15 with a $2.85 tip credit whereas upstate service employees are entitled to $13.30 per hour with a $2.70 tip credit.
Also, as mentioned in my December 2023 and June 2024 Legal Alerts the salary threshold that must be met to properly classify someone as overtime exempt increased to $1,275 per week ($66,300 per year) for New York City, Westchester, and Long Island and $1,199.10/week ($62,353.20 per year) for the rest of New York.
Starting in 2027, the minimum wage rate increase will be indexed to inflation determined by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region.
To download a pdf version of this Alert click HERE.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me.
About the Author: Ralph A. Somma
Ralph A. Somma is an experienced employment lawyer from Long Island, New York who has been practicing labor & employment law exclusively for over 33 years.
Call today (631) 587-1699 or click here to schedule a FREE telephone consultation.
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