Florida to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour

On November 3, 2020, over 60% of Floridians voted to amend Florida’s Constitution, increasing the state minimum wage from the current rate of $8.56 to $15.00 over the next six years. Employers must pay all non-tipped employee’s hourly rates according to the following schedule:

•    Through December 31, 2020 – $8.56
•    Beginning January 1, 2021 – $8.65
•    Beginning September 30, 2021 – $10.00
•    Beginning September 30, 2022 – $11.00
•    Beginning September 30, 2023 – $12.00
•    Beginning September 30, 2024 – $13.00
•    Beginning September 30, 2025 – $14.00
•    Beginning September 30, 2026 – $15.00

Employees in the hospitality industry who earn tips may receive a reduced hourly wage provided they earn greater than $3.02 per hour in tips.  The hourly rates of tipped employees will increase as follows:

•    Through December 31, 2020 – $5.54 per hour plus tips
•    January 1, 2021 – $5.63 per hour plus tips
•    September 30, 2021 – $6.98 per hour plus tips
•    September 30, 2022 – $7.98 per hour plus tips
•    September 30, 2023 – $8.98 per hour plus tips
•    September 30, 2024 – $9.98 per hour plus tips
•    September 30, 2025 – $10.98 per hour plus tips
•    September 30, 2026 – $11.98 per hour plus tips

Florida joins seven other states that have raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. However, Florida is the first state to raise the minimum wage to $15 by a citizens’ initiative ballot measure. Currently, the federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour; however, a bill called the Raise the Minimum Wage Act is before the Senate and would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.