ALBANY — New York’s minimum wage rose 50 cents per hour in all regions of the state to begin 2026, marking the third straight year of increases of the same amount. The minimum wage rose to $17 per hour in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island from $16.50 last year, while the rest of […]
ALBANY — New York’s minimum wage rose 50 cents per hour in all regions of the state to begin 2026, marking the third straight year of increases of the same amount.
The minimum wage rose to $17 per hour in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island from $16.50 last year, while the rest of the state had an increase to $16 per hour from $15.50 the prior year.
This rise of 50 cents per hour is the last of a series of three annual increases of that amount as the minimum wage also went up by half a dollar an hour in both 2024 and 2025, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
Starting in 2027, the minimum wage will increase annually at a rate determined by the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast region — described by the governor’s office as the “most accurate regional measure of inflation.”
A 3 percent rise in CPI-W would result in a 2027 increase of 51 cents per hour in the minimum wage in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island and a rise of 48 cents an hour in the rest of the state. If CPI-W rose 2 percent, the minimum-wage increases in 2027 would be 34 cents and 32 cents, respectively.
“Increasing the minimum wage is yet another way Governor Kathy Hochul is making New York a more affordable place to live, work, and raise a family,” Roberta Reardon, commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor, said in the Dec. 22 announcement. “With costs rising, this increase is crucial for workers looking to make ends meet.”
Employees can visit the New York State Department of Labor’s minimum wage webpage for more information, including an interactive Minimum Wage Lookup Tool to verify their correct pay rate.
