Minimum Wage in Florida
The statewide standard rate is $15.00/hour from September 30, 2026; eligible tipped cash wages start at $11.98/hour plus tips.
Effective: September 30, 2026. The statewide standard rate remains $15.00 through December 31, 2027. Last checked: October 27, 2026. FloridaCommerce minimum-wage announcement · Florida Constitution, Article X, section 24.
How the tipped cash wage works
The $11.98 cash minimum applies only when an employer can lawfully claim the tip credit. Florida limits that credit to $3.02 per hour: $15.00 − $3.02 = $11.98. An employer cannot claim more credit than the tips actually received. Federal eligibility requirements include advance notice of the credit and employees keeping their tips except for a valid tip pool. U.S. Department of Labor tipped-employee guidance.
Cash wages plus tips must reach the applicable minimum wage. If they do not, the employer must pay the shortfall. For example, 40 hours at $11.98 provides $479.20 in cash wages. With $80 in tips, the total is $559.20; the employer must add $40.80 to reach the $600 minimum for those 40 hours. This example excludes overtime and assumes the tip credit is otherwise valid.
What $15 an hour means for gross earnings
| Period | Assumption | Gross earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Working day | 8 hours | $120.00 |
| Week | 40 hours over 5 days | $600.00 |
| Biweekly | Two 40-hour weeks | $1,200.00 |
| Monthly average | $31,200 ÷ 12 | $2,600.00 |
| Year | $15 × 40 × 52 paid weeks | $31,200.00 |
These are gross examples before taxes and deductions. With 50 paid weeks, the same 40-hour schedule earns $30,000; at 20 hours for 52 paid weeks it earns $15,600. Actual paid hours, overtime and unpaid time off change the result. Adjust your work schedule.
Coverage, exceptions and higher pay requirements
Florida’s minimum-wage law uses FLSA definitions and eligibility and incorporates federal minimum-wage exemptions. This page describes the ordinary statewide floor; it does not determine a worker’s exempt status, authorize a special wage arrangement or calculate contract-specific rates. A higher wage requirement may apply to a particular job. Read Florida Statutes section 448.110 before applying an exception.
Official references
Florida minimum-wage questions
Can $11.98 be paid to every Florida employee?
No. It is the minimum direct cash wage for an eligible tipped employee when the employer meets the requirements for a tip credit. It is not the ordinary non-tipped minimum.
What happens when tips do not bring pay up to $15 an hour?
The employer must make up the difference. The credit is limited by the tips actually received as well as Florida’s maximum credit, so the lower cash amount is not a guarantee that $11.98 is all the employer owes.
Does the $31,200 example include paid holidays or leave?
It assumes 40 paid hours every week for 52 weeks. It does not establish an entitlement to paid leave. Two completely unpaid weeks reduce the example to $30,000.
Is $31,200 the amount deposited into my bank account?
No. It is gross annual earnings. Federal withholding, payroll taxes, benefits and other deductions can reduce take-home pay. This wage reference does not calculate a Florida net paycheck.
Does the state rate automatically rise on January 1, 2027?
The published $15 rate runs through December 31, 2027. The constitutional schedule resumes inflation calculations in September 2027, with the resulting adjustment taking effect the following January. No future dollar amount is assumed here.