On July 1, 2019, New Jersey’s minimum wage will increase to $10.00 per hour. This minimum wage adjustment occurs six months after the state’s last change to $8.85 an hour on January 1, 2019. On January 1, 2020, the minimum wage will go up again to $11.00 per hour, followed by annual raises of $1.00 until the minimum wage reaches $15.00 per hour in 2024.
The New Jersey bill that established the new minimum wage also includes a “training wages” provision. Starting in 2020, employers will be permitted to pay employees 90% of the minimum wage for an employee’s first 120 hours of work, so long as the employee is enrolled in a training program.