New York State Minimum Wage Rises to $8.75

Effective December 31, 2014, the New York State minimum wage rose to $8.75 per hour and the overtime rate for workers making the minimum wage rose to $13.13 per hour. This increase is the second in a series of three annual increases to the New York State minimum wage. The wage increased from $7.25 to $8.00 per hour on Dec. 31, 2013 and on December 31, 2015, it will increase to $9.00 per hour. This hourly wage increase covers most hourly employees in New York State, including cooks, construction workers, and dishwashers. However, the minimum wage for tipped employees, like waiters, busboys, or bartenders, remains at $5.00 per hour, but the tip credit that an employer may take increased to $3.75 per hour. The overtime rate for tipped employees that work more than forty hours in a week is now $9.38 per hour. Employers must also display an updated minimum wage information poster where workers can see it and must issue new pay notices to employees whose pay rate increased.