Summary:

$16.50/hour minimum wage in NYC, Westchester, and Long Island starting January 1st, 2025.
Upstate NY minimum wage will be $15.50/hour.
A 50-cent increase is also planned for 2026.
Future increases will be linked to inflation but can be frozen if the state's economy weakens.
Minimum wage has increased over 120% in the last 10 years in Upstate NY.

NYC Minimum Wage Increase in 2025

Starting January 1st, 2025, New York City will see its minimum wage climb to $16.50 per hour. This represents a 50-cent increase and a roughly 3.1% rise for the NYC area, Westchester County, and Long Island. Upstate New York's minimum wage will increase to $15.50 per hour, a 3.3% jump.

This translates to an additional $20 per week for full-time minimum wage workers. For example, Upstate workers will see weekly pay increase to $620. Another 50-cent increase is scheduled for 2026, followed by yearly adjustments based on inflation.

Future Wage Adjustments

The 2025 and 2026 increases, along with future inflation-based adjustments, are a result of previous state budget legislation. However, a crucial point to note is that this legislation also allows the wage to be frozen if economic conditions weaken, making these raises not entirely guaranteed.

Minimum Wage Growth Over a Decade

To illustrate the significant change, consider this: a decade ago, New York's minimum wage was just $7.25 per hour. The planned increases would represent a more than 120% rise from that amount in Upstate New York.

Source: syracuse.com