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NYC minimum wage could climb to $30: What to know

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Updated  March 10, 2026 12:45pm EDT
Economy
FOX 5 NY
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MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2025/04/03: New York City Hall building. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • The proposal would require employers to pay workers at least $25 an hour if they provide qualifying benefits and $30 an hour if they do not.
    • The bill directs the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to adjust the minimum pay rates each year based on inflation.
    • New York City last saw a sweeping minimum wage increase in the 2010s, when the rate climbed to $15 an hour for businesses with 11 or more employees.

NEW YORK - A new bill could push New York City’s minimum wage as high as $30 an hour, setting the stage for one of the highest local pay floors in the nation.

What we know:

The proposal would require employers to pay workers at least $25 an hour if they provide qualifying benefits and $30 an hour if they do not. 

Lawmakers would apply the same standards to independent contractors, including those who perform work through digital labor platforms.

Apartments in Greenwich Village in New York City, United States of America on July 7th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Dig deeper:

The bill directs the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to adjust the minimum pay rates each year based on inflation. 

The agency would also calculate and update annually the value of qualifying benefits used to determine which pay tier applies.

The measure is similar to a central campaign promise from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who pledged to pursue a $30 minimum wage during his run for office.

New York City minimum wage

Money in a tip jar in a Taos, New Mexico, coffee shop includes a two dollar bill. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

By the numbers:

New York City last saw a sweeping minimum wage increase in the 2010s, when the rate climbed to $15 an hour for businesses with 11 or more employees, according to the New York State Department of Labor. The statewide minimum wage increased again to $17 at the beginning of this year.

Under the new proposal, large employers with more than 500 workers would phase in higher wages more quickly, reaching $20 an hour by 2027 and $30 an hour by 2030. 

Smaller businesses would be required to pay $21.50 by 2028 and reach $30 an hour by 2032. After that, increases would be tied to cost-of-living adjustments.

The federal minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour and has not changed since 2009.

The Source: This report is based on information from 

Economy