Florida’s minimum wage will rise from $14 to $15 an hour on September 30, completing the six-year increase approved by voters in 2020. The change applies statewide and directly affects pay periods that cross the effective date, so employers and hourly workers should verify which hours were worked before and after the increase.
The date and amount are written into Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution. It directed annual $1 increases beginning in 2021 until the rate reached $15 on September 30, 2026. For a full-time worker paid the current $14 minimum, the final step adds $40 to gross weekly pay before taxes, assuming 40 paid hours.
Workers who receive tips are covered differently. The constitution allows employers to claim only the tip credit permitted in 2003, effectively capping the credit at $3.02 an hour. That makes the minimum direct cash wage $11.98 when the statewide rate reaches $15, provided the employee meets federal tip-credit requirements and tips make up the difference. If tips plus the direct wage do not reach the applicable minimum, the employer must cover the shortfall.
The state rate is substantially above the federal floor. The U.S. Department of Labor lists the federal minimum wage at $7.25 and says workers covered by both state and federal law are entitled to the higher rate. Coverage and exemptions can depend on the job and employer, however, so the headline rate does not by itself resolve every classification question.
For employers, the practical work is payroll configuration: update hourly and tipped rates, check overtime calculations and replace workplace notices if the state issues a new poster. Managers should also review contracts or pay bands tied to the minimum wage, because the legal increase can compress differences between entry-level and more experienced employees even when their rates are already above $15. Employees should compare the hourly rate, hours and effective date on their first pay statement covering September 30, rather than assuming a pay period’s blended total makes the change clear.
Florida law provides a specific enforcement path. Under the Florida Minimum Wage Act, an employee alleging unpaid minimum wages must first give the employer written notice identifying the claimed rate, work dates, hours and amount due. The employer then has 15 calendar days to pay or resolve the claim. A prevailing worker may recover unpaid wages, potentially an equal amount in liquidated damages, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; retaliation for asserting minimum-wage rights is prohibited.
This is not the end of Florida’s adjustments. The constitution says the state will next calculate an inflation-linked rate on September 30, 2027, using the CPI-W measure, with that adjusted rate taking effect January 1, 2028. For now, the immediate deadline is September 30, 2026: hours worked from that date forward must be paid at the new rate when the employee is covered by Florida’s minimum-wage protections.
