NJ · state labor law, 2026
New Jersey labor laws: minimum wage, overtime, leave, final pay and breaks
One state, four minimum wage tracks that move every January, plus wage-replacement insurance for family care and 40 hours of sick time at every employer.
New Jersey and federal rules checked on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- Minimum wage now
- $15.92/h
- Most employers
- From January 1, 2027
- $16.48/h
- announced rate
- Tipped cash wage
- $6.05/h
- tips must make up the rest
- Overtime
- 40 h/week
- state law
- Paid sick leave
- 1 h per 30 h
- cap 40 h a year
- Paid family leave
- 12 weeks
- New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI)
New Jersey's minimum wage for most employers is $15.92 an hour in 2026, and an official notice filed in September sets it at $16.48 on January 1, 2027. The state runs separate tracks: $15.23 for seasonal employers and those with fewer than 6 workers, $14.20 on farms, and $18.92 for direct care staff in long-term care facilities. Tipped workers receive a cash wage of $6.05, rising to $6.61, with tips lifting them to the full rate. Overtime is time and a half after 40 hours a week. Every employer, whatever its size, must let workers earn one hour of sick leave per 30 worked, up to 40 hours a year. Family Leave Insurance pays 85% of average weekly wages for up to 12 weeks, capped at $1,119 a week in 2026. Final wages are due on the next regular payday, and adults have no state break rule.
Gross pay for this week in New Jersey
$637
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week
| Minimum wage in New Jersey now | $15.92 an hour |
| Your rate against it | At or above the minimum |
| Overtime: none this week | $0 |
| Paid sick leave earned in a year | 40 hours (cap reached) |
| Breaks owed in a 8-hour shift | None for adults (minors only) |
| Final paycheck if fired | by the next regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended |
| Unused vacation at the end | Paid out if the employer policy or contract says so |
| Paid family leave | New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI), up to 12 weeks |
40 hours a week at $15.92. State rule applied. Minimum wage, overtime and leave rules have exceptions by employer size and industry. How this is calculated.
Four wage floors, one closing gap
New Jersey sets four minimum wages, and each one changes on January 1. The general rate follows the CPI-W, which produced the $16.48 figure for 2027. Small and seasonal employers were given a slower schedule and are now catching up: they pay $0.69 less than the general rate in 2026, and only $0.23 less once $16.25 takes effect in 2027. Farm employers move from $14.20 to $15.00. Direct care staff in long-term care facilities have the highest floor, $18.92 now and $19.48 next year.
For a cashier at a five-person shop working 35 hours a week, the 2027 step from $15.23 to $16.25 adds $1,856 a year, more than a worker at a large employer gains from the general increase, $1,019. Which track applies is a question of who employs you, so check headcount and industry before comparing offers.
What the minimum wage raise is worth to you
Next rate in New Jersey
$16.48
| Rate on January 1, 2026 | $15.92 |
| Rate in force now | $15.92 |
| Extra pay a year since January | $0 |
| Extra pay a year at the next rate | $874 |
Family Leave Insurance and its weekly cap
Family Leave Insurance is the state's paid program for bonding with a new child or caring for a seriously ill relative; Temporary Disability Insurance covers your own illness or injury with the same $1,119 weekly maximum in 2026. Benefits run for 12 consecutive weeks, or up to 56 days of intermittent leave, in a 12-month period. The benefit is 85% of your average weekly wage until the cap bites.
Two examples show where that happens. A worker averaging $1,000 a week receives $850 a week, or $10,200 over 12 weeks. A colleague averaging $1,600 a week also hits the ceiling and receives $1,119, about 70% of pay. The program replaces income; job protection depends on separate leave laws, so ask your employer which ones cover you.
Paid family leave in your state
New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI)
Up to 12 weeks
| Weeks payable from your plan | 8 |
| Maximum weekly benefit 2026 | $1,119.00 |
| Most you could receive | $8,952 |
Your benefit is a share of your own wages, up to the maximum.
Earned sick leave from the first employee
New Jersey's earned sick leave law has no small-business exemption. Full-time, part-time and temporary employees accrue one hour per 30 worked, and an employer may instead front-load 40 hours at the start of the benefit year. Up to 40 unused hours carry over, but the employer may cap use at 40 a year. A part-timer on 25 hours a week accrues about 43 hours over a year, more than the 40-hour yearly limit, so the cap is what counts.
When the job ends
Whether you quit, are laid off or are suspended, all wages are due by the regular payday for the pay period in which the job ended. No statute requires payout of unused vacation; it is owed when your contract or the employer's policy makes it a benefit of the job. Adults have no state meal or rest break requirement, while workers under 18 need a half-hour break after 5 consecutive hours. The Division of Wage and Hour Compliance handles wage complaints, and the vacation payout comparison shows which states are stricter.
New Jersey employment rules at a glance, 2026
Minimum wage schedule
| From | Who it covers | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Long-term care facility direct care staff | $18.92 | |
| January 1, 2026 | Most employers | $15.92 | |
| January 1, 2026 | Seasonal and small employers (fewer than 6 employees) | $15.23 | |
| January 1, 2026 | Agricultural employers | $14.20 | |
| January 1, 2027 | Most employers | $16.48 | Public notice filed September 23, 2026 (CPI-W +3.52%) |
| January 1, 2027 | Seasonal and small employers (fewer than 6 employees) | $16.25 | Statutory catch-up rate, per the September 23, 2026 notice |
| January 1, 2027 | Agricultural employers | $15.00 | Per NJDOL minimum wage flier MW-571 (9/26) |
| January 1, 2027 | Long-term care facility direct care staff | $19.48 | Per NJDOL minimum wage flier MW-571 (9/26) |
| January 1, 2027 | Cash wage for tipped workers | $6.61 | Per NJDOL tipped workers page |
Workers covered by both laws get the higher rate. Separate rates for agricultural employers ($14.20) and long-term care direct care staff ($18.92) in 2026. Read the New Jersey rule.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week. The salary test for exempt employees is the federal $684 a week. source
Sick leave and family leave
Paid sick leave: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (Employers of all sizes: up to 40 hours per benefit year; up to 40 unused hours carry over, but use can be capped at 40 per year. Employers may front-load 40 hours.), all employers. Covers full-time, part-time and temporary employees. source
New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI): up to 12 weeks, benefits payable since July 1, 2009, 85% of the average weekly wage, up to the annual maximum, maximum $1,119.00 a week in 2026. Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) covers the worker's own illness or injury (same $1,119 maximum in 2026). New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA): up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave in a 24-month period, employers with 30+ employees worldwide and all state/local government agencies source
Final paycheck and unused vacation
Fired or laid off: by the next regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended. Quitting: by the next regular payday for the pay period in which employment ended. Vacation: No statute requires vacation payout; it is owed if it is a benefit arising out of the employment contract or policy.. source vacation rule
Meal and rest breaks
No meal break is required for adults by state law. No paid rest break is required for adults. Minors (under 18): a half-hour break after 5 consecutive hours source
Unions and dismissal
New Jersey has no right-to-work law, so a union contract may require a fee from the workers it covers. Employment is at will: either side may end it at any time, except for an illegal reason such as discrimination or retaliation, or against a contract.
Also worth knowing in New Jersey
- Minimum wage rises to $16.48 on January 1, 2027 ($16.25 for seasonal and small employers), per the official notice filed September 23, 2026. source
- Family Leave Insurance can be taken as 12 consecutive weeks or up to 56 intermittent days in a 12-month period. source
- Long-term care facility direct care staff have their own, higher minimum wage: $18.92 in 2026, $19.48 in 2027. source