Minimum Wage in Florida (2026): Current Rate, Tipped Wage and What Changes Next

The minimum wage in Florida is $15.00 per hour as of September 30, 2026. Tipped employees must receive a cash wage of at least $11.98 per hour, and tips must bring them up to $15.00. The federal minimum wage stays at $7.25, so the Florida rate applies to almost every covered worker.

Key takeaways

• Florida’s standard minimum wage rose from $14.00 to $15.00 on September 30, 2026.
• The tipped cash wage rose from $10.98 to $11.98. The tip credit stays fixed at $3.02.
• The $15.00 rate was the final step of the 2020 voter-approved schedule.
• The next change is an inflation adjustment. Reports from employment-law firms place it at January 1, 2028.
• Florida law keeps cities and counties from setting their own higher minimum.

Florida minimum wage at a glance

A full-time worker at $15.00 earns $600 for a 40-hour week and $31,200 over 2,080 hours. Use our hourly to salary calculator to turn any rate into a yearly figure.

How Florida reached $15.00

In November 2020, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment. It raised the minimum wage to $10.00 in 2021, then added $1.00 every September 30 until it reached $15.00. The table shows each step.

Because the schedule is in the state constitution, employers could not skip a step. That makes Florida one of the states where the legal rate sits well above the federal floor.

What happens after 2026

The fixed schedule ends at $15.00. After that, the amendment ties the wage to inflation. FloridaCommerce calculates the adjustment using a federal consumer price measure. Several employment-law sources say the $15.00 rate holds through all of 2027, with the first adjusted rate starting January 1, 2028. Confirm the exact date with FloridaCommerce when the notice appears, because the agency publishes the official poster each year.

Workers should not expect a raise in September 2027. Employers should plan for a small increase at the start of 2028. Our minimum wage by state page tracks how Florida compares with the other states.

Tipped employees in Florida

Employers may pay tipped workers a lower cash wage if tips make up the gap. In Florida the cash wage is $15.00 minus the $3.02 tip credit, which equals $11.98. If a worker’s tips do not reach $15.00 an hour in a pay period, the employer must pay the difference.

Tipped employees are those who customarily receive tips. Employers must tell them about the tip credit before using it. They also cannot take tips that belong to staff.

Overtime in Florida

Florida has no state overtime law of its own. Workers rely on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. It requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours beyond 40 in a workweek for covered, non-exempt employees. At $15.00 an hour, the overtime rate is $22.50. Try our overtime pay calculator to estimate a paycheck with extra hours.

Local minimum wages

Miami, Orlando and Tampa cannot set their own higher minimum. Florida law preempts local wage ordinances, so the state rate is the rate everywhere in Florida. Public employers and contractors may have separate pay rules, but the general minimum is uniform.

Who is covered, and who is not

The state minimum wage covers most employees who are covered by the federal law. Some workers fall under exemptions, such as certain executive, administrative and professional employees who earn a salary. Independent contractors are not employees. A worker’s actual duties decide the status, not the job title.

What to do if you are paid less

• Keep records of your hours, your pay stubs and any messages about pay.
• Calculate the difference between what you were paid and $15.00 for each hour worked.
• Raise the issue with your employer in writing. Florida law requires written notice before a lawsuit and gives the employer a short window to pay.
• Contact the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division or a licensed employment attorney if the problem continues.

Common mistakes

• Using $14.00 in payroll after September 30, 2026.
• Counting tips toward the minimum without checking the tip credit rules.
• Assuming a local ordinance sets a higher rate.
• Expecting an inflation raise in September 2027.

If you are comparing Florida with other states, see our guide to states with no state tax. Florida is on that list, so a worker earning $31,200 keeps all of it from state income tax, although federal tax and payroll tax still apply.

What $15.00 an hour means in a paycheck

Hourly pay becomes easier to plan once you convert it to weekly, monthly and yearly figures. The table shows gross pay at the new Florida minimum, before any taxes or deductions.

Florida has no state income tax, so these are gross figures before federal income tax and payroll taxes only. A single worker taking the 2026 federal standard deduction of $16,100 would owe federal income tax only on the amount above that. Visit our hourly to salary calculator to test a different schedule.

Example: a restaurant server’s week

Consider a server who works 38 hours in one week. The employer pays the $11.98 cash wage. The server earns $11.98 × 38 = $455.24 in cash wages. Tips must lift the total to at least $15.00 × 38 = $570.00. That means the server needs at least $114.76 in tips for the week. If tips total less, the employer must make up the shortfall. If tips total more, the server keeps the extra.

Tipped overtime example

Overtime rules apply to tipped workers too. The overtime rate is based on the full minimum wage, not the cash wage. For 45 hours in a week, the five overtime hours carry a rate of $22.50 minus the $3.02 tip credit, which equals $19.48 in cash wages per overtime hour. The first 40 hours carry the $11.98 cash wage. Employers who skip this calculation often underpay their staff.

Workers who often get underpaid

• Tipped staff whose tips are pooled with managers or owners.
• New hires paid an old rate after September 30, 2026.
• Salaried workers whose weekly salary divided by hours worked falls below $15.00.
• Workers misclassified as contractors and paid by the job.
• Employees asked to work off the clock before or after a shift.

Salary does not by itself make an employee exempt from the minimum wage. A salaried employee must also meet a duties test. If your salary divided by your real hours drops below $15.00, ask a qualified professional to review your status.

For employers: what changed on September 30, 2026

The Florida Constitution also protects workers from retaliation for asserting minimum wage rights. Employers who punish a worker for raising a pay complaint can face additional liability.

How to calculate what you are owed

Suppose an employer kept paying $14.00 an hour after September 30, 2026. A worker who logs 30 hours in a week is short $1.00 for each hour. That is $30 a week, or $120 over four weeks. The shortfall applies to every hour worked on or after September 30, not only to hours in the next full pay period. Write down the date, the hours and the rate you received, then compare them with $15.00.

The federal tipped cash wage of $2.13 and the $5.12 maximum tip credit come from the federal rules. Florida’s higher floor replaces them for covered workers, so employers cannot fall back on the federal numbers.

Where to get official information

FloridaCommerce posts the current rates and the annual poster, and the U.S. Department of Labor publishes federal rules. Check both sources when a rate changes. We list the agencies on our state tax data sources page.

Why Florida’s wage matters in the wider picture

Florida is the third largest state by population, so its wage floor affects millions of workers, especially in hospitality, retail and health support jobs. The state also has no income tax. A full-time minimum wage worker keeps the entire gross pay from state taxes, although sales tax and housing costs still shape purchasing power. If you are weighing a move, compare wages with housing costs and not just the headline rate. Our minimum wage by state table gives a quick comparison.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Florida in 2026?

It is $15.00 per hour from September 30, 2026. From January 1 to September 29, 2026 it was $14.00.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Florida?

The cash wage is $11.98 per hour from September 30, 2026. Tips must bring total pay to at least $15.00 an hour.

Will Florida’s minimum wage go up in 2027?

The fixed increases end with $15.00. Employment-law sources say the rate stays at $15.00 through 2027, then adjusts for inflation starting January 1, 2028.

Is the Florida minimum wage higher than the federal minimum?

Yes. The federal minimum is $7.25, while Florida’s is $15.00, so most Florida workers must be paid the higher state rate.

Can a city in Florida set a higher minimum wage?

No. Florida law preempts local minimum wage ordinances, so the state rate applies throughout the state.

How much is $15.00 an hour per year?

At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $15.00 an hour equals $31,200 before taxes.

How much is overtime at the Florida minimum wage?

Overtime for covered workers is 1.5 times the regular rate. At $15.00 an hour that is $22.50 for each overtime hour.

Not affiliated with any government agency. Information only, not tax or legal advice. Read the full disclaimer.