Florida Minimum Wage Rises to $15 an Hour, Giving Workers and Tipped Employees a Final Boost Under 2020 Amendment
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida’s minimum wage rose to $15 an hour on Wednesday, giving many workers a final pay bump under the gradual increase approved by voters in 2020. The change also lifted the base wage for tipped employees from $10.98 to $11.98 an hour.
State officials and advocacy groups say the increase is the last step required by Amendment 2, which set Florida on a schedule of annual $1 increases. The federal minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009. According to the Florida Policy Institute, more than 1.2 million Floridians were earning less than $15 an hour before the new rate took effect.
How Florida got here after voters approved Amendment 2
The higher wage is the result of a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2020. That measure, known as Amendment 2, directed the state to raise the minimum wage by $1 each year until it reached $15 an hour. A 2023 memo from the Florida Department of Commerce said that point would be reached next year, and the latest increase completes the schedule.
The first step under the law came on Sept. 30, 2021, when the minimum wage increased to $10 an hour. Since then, the state has added another dollar each year. The most recent jump before this week was on Sept. 30, 2025, when the wage moved from $14 to $15 an hour.
Tipped workers also see a higher base rate
Florida’s tipped employees are included in the annual adjustment, and their base pay rose to $11.98 an hour. That increase matters because tipped workers typically rely on a combination of employer wages and customer tips to reach their total earnings.
The state’s wage schedule is now at its endpoint under the 2020 amendment. Business and labor advocates have watched each step closely because it affects not only hourly pay but also payroll costs, staffing plans and menu prices in service-heavy industries. For many workers, the increase offers a larger paycheck right away, even though it does not match the pace of living costs in much of the state.
Business owners split over what the increase will mean
Florida employers and business leaders have mixed views about the higher wage. Some local owners who support the change say it will put more money in workers’ pockets and keep more spending circulating in their communities.
Danielle Ferrari, owner of Valhalla Resale in Tampa, said through Business for a Fair Minimum Wage that higher pay is good for both workers and businesses. Leigh Anne Balzekas, co-owner of The Disco Dolls Studio in Tampa, said fair pay can improve customer service and reduce turnover. Both framed the increase as a benefit for small businesses as well as employees.
Opponents warn about pressure on restaurants and hiring
Not everyone sees the change as positive. The Employment Policies Institute said Florida’s wage law has slowed growth in the state’s restaurant industry, pointing to a drop in year-over-year restaurant employment growth from 5.5% to 0.4% in 2025. The group called that the lowest growth rate in a decade.
Rebekah Paxton, the institute’s research director, said rising labor costs can push up prices and encourage more automation. Her group argues that annual increases give businesses little breathing room, especially in hospitality and food service, where payroll is a major expense. Those concerns have become part of the broader debate over whether higher minimum wages help or hurt job creation.
Advocates say $15 still falls short of basic living costs
The Florida Policy Institute says the new wage is still not enough for many households to cover basic expenses. The group said $15 an hour is not sufficient for a full-time worker to afford housing, transportation and groceries in any Florida county, even without children. In some places, it said, even two full-time minimum-wage workers without children cannot cover those costs.
The institute estimated that a living hourly wage in Florida ranges from $19.57 for a single adult without children to $34.10 for two adults with one child. Even so, the group said about 1.2 million Floridians are expected to benefit directly from the new $15 minimum wage, underscoring how many workers remain close to the wage floor.
Florida joins a growing group of states at $15 or above
Florida is now among several states with a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour. Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Missouri and Nebraska also reached that level for the first time this year, according to the information cited in the Patch report.
Across the country, 21 states plus Washington, D.C., already have a minimum wage of $15 or higher or are in the process of reaching that mark through scheduled increases. Washington state has the highest current state minimum wage at $17.13 as of Jan. 1. For Florida workers, this week’s increase closes one chapter of the state’s wage debate even as arguments continue over whether the new rate is enough.