Florida's Minimum Wage Hits $15, Completing a Five-Year Climb
The final $1 step under the 2020 constitutional amendment took effect September 30, lifting the tipped cash wage to $11.98.
A voter-approved wage ladder has reached its top rung. On September 30, Florida's minimum wage rose from $14 to $15 an hour, the last fixed $1 annual increase under the constitutional amendment voters passed in 2020. The wage started at $10 in September 2021 and has risen by a dollar every year since.
Tipped employees must now receive at least $11.98 an hour in cash wages, with employers allowed to claim the remaining $3.02 as a tip credit. Florida Phoenix reported that roughly 1.29 million non-tipped workers are paid the minimum.
Mixed reactions on the ground
In Sarasota, restaurant manager Rachel Hammond welcomed the change, saying it uplifts the staff who are the core of the city. Diners are more wary: one resident told local TV he has already cut back on eating out and worries owners will pass labor costs along through higher menu prices.
After $15, the wage will be adjusted for inflation rather than by a set dollar amount, with the first such adjustment calculated in 2027 and taking effect in 2028. The federal minimum remains $7.25.
Sources: WWSB/MySuncoast; Florida Phoenix via Florida Trend; Lowndes Law.
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