New York Minimum Wage
Different minimum wage rates exist within the fast food industry, on Long Island, in Westchester County, and for employers in New York City.
New York City
In New York City, the minimum wage is $15.00 per hour, regardless of the size of the industry or the business.
Long Island and Westchester Minimum Wage
Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties also have a higher minimum wage than the rest of the state: $15.00 per hour, effective December 31, 2021.
Minimum Wage by Job Category
The minimum wage and future increases are different for each category of employee. For example, there are different minimums for farm workers, nail salon employees, building services workers, and people who work in the hospitality industry.
New York State Minimum Wage for Fast Food Workers
The following minimum wage rates for fast food workers who work for a chain with 30 or more establishments were approved by a state wage panel. The minimum wage for fast food workers across the state is $15 per hour after the final phase became effective July 1, 2021.
New York Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
Workers who receive tips are paid under a different minimum wage structure in New York. The cash wage, or base service rate, varies according to the size of the employing business and its location.
Minimum Wage for App-Based Drivers
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) voted on December 4, 2018, to set the nation’s first minimum pay rate for app-based drivers. The rate is set at $17.22 per hour after expenses ($26.51 per hour gross pay) and went into effect on December 31, 2018.
History of New York’s Minimum Wage
A general minimum wage was established on October 1, 1960, before which minimum wage rates depended on the industry. The first New York State minimum wage was $1.00 per hour. Since it was established in October 1960, the New York State minimum wage has gradually increased, with the first rapid increase occurring over a period of several years in the mid-to-late 1970s.
State vs. Federal Minimum Wage
New York is one of many states whose minimum wage tends to be higher than the federal minimum wage, for both tipped and untipped workers. A few states match the federal minimum wage, and even fewer do not mandate a minimum wage. When a state’s minimum wage law attempts to set a pay rate that is less than the federal minimum wage law, the federal minimum wage law supersedes the state minimum wage law. In short, minimum wage laws are always set to favor the employee by establishing the federal or state minimum wage at whichever is the higher wage.
