What Is Minimum Wage in Florida? 2026 Rates & Wage Laws

So if you are asking yourself, “What is minimum wage in Florida? The minimum wage is currently $14.00 per hour and will be effective on September 30, 2025, statewide. This is the rate, which is above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. A constitutional amendment passed by Florida voters in 2020 will raise the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour on September 30th, 2026, with annual increases to account for inflation. The state minimum wage rate is higher than the federal minimum wage for the most part, so employers in Florida are required to pay this rate, rather than the federal rate. Knowing the Florida minimum wage gives workers an understanding of their rights and assists employers in meeting Florida’s labor laws.

Florida Minimum Wage: Quick Overview

Minimum Wage Overview	Amount / Date
Current Florida Minimum Wage	$14.00/hour
Effective Date	September 30, 2025
Federal Minimum Wage	$7.25/hour
Difference from Federal Wage	$6.75/hour
Tipped Employee Cash Wage	$10.98/hour
Maximum Tip Credit	$3.02/hour
Next Scheduled Minimum Wage	$15.00/hour
Next Increase Effective Date	September 30, 2026
Annual Scheduled Increase (2021–2026)	$1.00/hour
Future Wage Adjustments	Based on inflation (starting Sept. 30, 2027)

What Is Minimum Wage in Florida?

The minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate legally required for most workers who work in the State of Florida. The rate is set in Florida’s Constitution, Article X, Section 24, and is enforced by the Florida Department of Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity).

Current Florida Minimum Wage

Effective Date	Regular Minimum Wage	Tipped Employee Cash Wage*
September 30, 2025	$14.00/hour	$10.98/hour
September 30, 2026	$15.00/hour	$11.98/hour

Employers can deduct up to $3.02 per hour from wages if the employee tips for a total of at least the regular state minimum wage.

Florida already has a scheduled increase in wages that is constitutional, as many states have laws that are regularly updated. This helps employers and employees to have more accurate predictions of their future payroll expenses and income.

Florida Minimum Wage vs. Federal Minimum Wage

Many workers are not aware that there are two minimum wage rates in Florida: one state and one federal.

Comparison	Florida	Federal
Current Minimum Wage	$14.00/hour	$7.25/hour
Governing Law	Florida Constitution	Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Which Rate Applies?	Higher state rate	Applies only where state law doesn’t require more

In most cases, if an employer is subject to both state and federal minimum wage laws, the employer will be required to pay the higher of the two wages, Florida’s minimum wage.

For workers, that translates to working in Florida usually earning a higher legally mandated minimum wage than would be the case in states that base their minimum wage on the federal minimum wage.

Why Florida’s Minimum Wage Keeps Increasing

Amendment 2 is a constitutional amendment approved by voters during the November 2020 general election that will result in annual wage increases in Florida.

The amendment provided for the following schedule:

September 30, 2021: $10.00
September 30, 2022: $11.00
September 30, 2023: $12.00
September 30, 2024: $13.00
September 30, 2025: $14.00
September 30, 2026: $15.00

Starting September 30, 2027, any future adjustments will no longer be by fixed dollar amounts. Instead, they will be annually adjusted for inflation using the formula prescribed in the Florida Constitution for the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

This helps maintain the purchasing power of workers and provides businesses with advance notice of planned price increases.

Who Must Receive Florida’s Minimum Wage?

In the majority of cases, workers in Florida can receive the state minimum wage. Typically, coverage applies to all full-time, part-time, hourly, and many seasonal workers employed by firms that are subject to wage laws in Florida and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The following industries have minimum wage requirements that are higher than Florida’s minimum wage:

Retail
Restaurants
Hospitality
Healthcare support
Warehousing
Customer service
Construction support roles
Administrative positions
Tourism

Federal and state laws may exempt certain professions. Some executive, administrative, professional, and outside sales personnel may meet certain legal exemptions under FLSA. Qualifying is not just a matter of being paid a salary, but rather a matter of federal law.

Tipped Employees and Florida’s Minimum Wage

Employers can pay eligible tipped employees a lower direct cash wage since tips account for a portion of the employee’s wages in Florida. But this is not to say that tipped workers may never be paid at least the State’s minimum wage.

As of September 30, 2025:

Beneath this minimum, the rate is half. Below this minimum, ½ is paid.
Tipped employees must earn a minimum wage of $10.98 per hour.
Tip credit: $3.02 per hour (max)

The employer must make up the difference if an employee’s hourly wages plus their tips are less than at least $14.00 per hour. The purpose of this rule is to help assure tipped employees are paid at least the full state minimum wage for each hour worked.

Example

If the restaurant server works for a total of one hour and the restaurant pays him/her $10/hour, then the payment the server receives is:

Employer cash wage: $10.98
Tips earned: $2.00

Their total earnings amount to $12.98, which is less than the minimum wage in Florida ($14.00). In this instance, the employer will have to pay an extra $1.02 to meet the minimum wage requirement.

Overtime Pay in Florida

The majority of private sector workers in Florida aren’t covered by a state overtime provision. Rather, employers abide by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Generally, non-exempt employees are required to be given:

Time and one-half (1.5×) their regular pay rate.
For hours worked in excess of 40 hours in one workweek.

A workweek is a calendar week (7 consecutive 24-hour days) designated by the employer. Overtime is not eligible to be averaged over 2 or more weeks.

Overtime Example

Hours Worked	Hourly Rate	Regular Pay	Overtime Pay	Total Weekly Pay
45	$14.00	$560.00	$105.00	$665.00

Calculation:

First 40 hours × $14.00 = $560
5 overtime hours × $21.00 = $105
Total = $665

Employees Who May Be Exempt

While most Florida workers are covered by the minimum wage law, certain employees may be exempt under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and/or under other laws.

Some exemptions are often:

Certain executive employees
Certain administrative employees
Certain learned professionals
Outside sales employees
Some computer professionals
Independent contractors (if appropriately classified)

An employee who is paid a salary or has a management title does not automatically qualify for exemption. To be exempted, a Federal employee must meet certain federal salary and duty requirements under the FLSA. Wage claims or penalties may be incurred for misclassification.

Annual Minimum Wage Increases Through 2026

Many people look into Florida’s minimum wage to find out what the pay rate will be in the future.

The state’s schedule is set and approved by voters in 2020.

Effective Date	Minimum Wage
Sept. 30, 2021	$10.00
Sept. 30, 2022	$11.00
Sept. 30, 2023	$12.00
Sept. 30, 2024	$13.00
Sept. 30, 2025	$14.00
Sept. 30, 2026	$15.00

Effective once the scheduled increases have occurred, the minimum wage for wages in Florida will be raised annually based on the rate of inflation as defined by the Florida Constitution.

Employer Responsibilities

There are several legal responsibilities that Florida employers have regarding minimum wage compliance.

These include:

Providing at least the minimum state wage (as required by state law).
Paying overtime as required by federal law.
Ensuring correct payroll and timekeeping.
Posting the current Florida Minimum Wage Poster in a prominent place for employees to see.
Making sure tipped employees get a sufficient amount of wages and tips to qualify for the minimum wage.Providing adequate amounts of wages and tips to tipped employees to meet minimum wage requirements.

Failure to abide by the rules may lead to back payment liability, civil fines, and legal action.

What Workers Should Do if They’re Paid Less Than Minimum Wage

If an employee feels he is underpaid, he will check his pay stub, time record, and tip record (if applicable). Many payroll problems can be solved by meeting with an employer or payroll department.

Should the problem not be resolved, workers might be able to seek relief under Florida’s minimum wage statute or the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. This may involve the recovery of unpaid wages and any other remedies under any applicable law depending on the circumstances.

Conclusion

State and local labor laws are dynamic, so it is crucial for both employees and employers to understand what the minimum wage will be in Florida. The statewide minimum wage is $14.00 per hour, and will increase to $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026. The increases are due to Florida’s 2020 constitutional amendment that set an incremental schedule for the minimum wage increase until 2026, at which point the increase will be tied to inflation.

Employees can understand the minimum wages and ensure that they are being paid the amount they are entitled to by law if they know the current wage rates. For employers, compliance is about ensuring proper pay practices, posting the required state minimum wage sign, and keeping up with state minimum wage changes that are announced yearly by the State of Florida.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does every employee in Florida earn the state minimum wage?

No. While most employees are covered, some are exempt, including some of the exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees and properly classified independent contractors.

When will Florida’s minimum wage increase to $15 per hour?

On September 30, 2026, the minimum wage will be $15.00/hour in Florida. From then on, subsequent increases will be adjusted to match the inflation rate.

Can an employer pay less than Florida’s minimum wage?

In general, no, employers are required to pay a minimum wage that is at least equal to the wage rate set by the state. If the total of an employee’s wages and tips is the same as or more than the minimum wage, they can receive a lower cash wage.

Is Florida’s minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage?

Yes. The minimum wage in Florida is $14.00per hour, and the federal minimum wage is $7.25per hour. The higher Florida rate is the one that must be paid by the employer in most cases.

Do cities in Florida have their own minimum wage?

There is no minimum wage rate established at the local level in Florida. Florida has no minimum wage rates established at the local level; rather, there is one minimum wage rate for the State.

Can tipped employees earn less than the minimum wage?

Yes. Employers can offer an employee who is eligible to receive a tip a lower cash wage and may supplement this amount with a tip, but a combination of the wage and the tip must equal at least the minimum wage in Florida.

What happens if an employer doesn’t pay the minimum wage?

If the employee is paid less than the required minimum wage, then he or she can file a wage claim to receive compensation for the wages that were missed, or a violation can be reported in order to secure unpaid wages.