2021 New Jersey Minimum Wage
The 2021 New Jersey Minimum Wage is $12.
Effective 2021-01-01Source: Minimum Wage to Rise to $12/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1 (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development)Verified 2026-08-31
Compared with 2020
| Item | 2020 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $11 | $12 | +$1 (+9.1%) |
Who it applies to
Most employees working in New Jersey. Seasonal workers, employees of small employers, and agricultural workers have separate lower rates that are not covered here.
What changed this year, and why
New Jersey's minimum hourly wage increased to $12 per hour for most employees on January 1, 2021, up from $11 per hour in 2020.
Common questions
- When did the $12 minimum wage take effect?
- January 1, 2021.
- What was the minimum wage before this increase?
- $11 per hour in 2020.
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
This press release directs readers to visit a specific URL for more information about New Jersey's minimum wage: https://www.nj.gov/labor/forms_pdfs/wagehour/mw-571.pdf. The document was issued by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), which is the state agency responsible for administering wage and hour laws. For questions about the $12 per hour minimum wage rate or to file a wage complaint, contact the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The press release mentions that NJDOL regulations require the department to publish notice of new minimum wage rates on its website by September 30 each year and that the notice is later published in the New Jersey Register. The Wage and Hour Compliance office within NJDOL handles wage complaints and enforcement.
For more information on the minimum wage, visit: https://www.nj.gov/labor/forms_pdfs/wagehour/mw-571.pdf
Minimum Wage to Rise to $12/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1 (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Minimum Wage to Rise to $12/Hour for Most Employees on Jan. 1 (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development)
- Hourly
TRENTON - New Jersey’s minimum hourly wage will go up by $1 to $12 per hour, for most employees, on January 1, 2021, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced today.
Other years
Every New Jersey Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state