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With 2024 quickly approaching, many workers across the Garden State are poised to get some extra money in their paychecks. The state's minimum wage is scheduled to rise by a dollar on January 1st, to $15.13.
The wage increase is a result of Bill A15, approved and signed by Governor Phil Murphy in 2019. This legislation aimed to gradually raise the state's hourly minimum wage to $15.00 over time, starting with an increase to $10.00 per hour in July 2019. The increments were established on an annual basis, allowing businesses to adjust accordingly while ensuring workers benefit from higher wages over time. At the beginning of 2023, the minimum wage raised to $14.13 per hour for most employees in the state. The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour.
A specific sector that stands to benefit further in the new year is the staff at long-term care facilities. The increase in their wage rate will see them earn $18.13 per hour.
The upcoming New Jersey minimum wage increase surpasses the current federal minimum wage by $7.88. Washington DC has the highest minimum wage in the country at $16.50, followed by Washington state at $16.28 per hour. California and Massachusetts also have minimum wages above $15 per hour.