Florida workers earning minimum wage should see extra money in their paychecks moving forward, as Florida’s minimum wage rises Tuesday from $13 an hour to $14 an hour.
Effective Sept. 30, Florida’s minimum wage is now $14 an hour for nontipped workers, and $10.98 for workers who receive tips. It’s now the highest state minimum wage in the geographic South and nearly double the federal minimum wage of just $7.25 an hour. This is the latest increase in a series of minimum wage hikes approved by Florida voters in 2020 through the passage of Amendment 2.
Under that constitutional amendment, approved by approximately 61 percent of voters, Florida’s minimum wage rose to $10 on Sept. 30, 2021, and has increased $1 each year after. It is set to reach $15 an hour on Sept. 30, 2026 and increase after based on inflation.
Florida’s Amendment 2 in 2020 to raise the minimum wage, proved more popular that election than either presidential candidate who ran for office that year, garnering 700,000 more votes in Florida than Republican Donald Trump and more than 1 million votes more than Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, Florida is one of 30 states, plus D.C., that have adopted a state minimum wage above the federal minimum wage. The latter hasn’t changed since 2009. Florida was the first state in the South to get on track towards a $15 minimum wage in 2020, despite opposition from chambers of commerce and a deep-pocketed campaign organized by business groups, such as the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, to defeat Amendment 2. Opponents argued raising the minimum wage would kill jobs and hike prices for consumers.
However, the new $14 wage floor in Florida still rests below what’s considered a “living wage” in Florida — that is, the minimum wage you need to earn working full-time to support yourself or a family — according to a calculator from MIT.
A “living wage,” according to MIT, is defined as “what one full-time worker must earn on an hourly basis to help cover the cost of their family’s minimum basic needs where they live while still being self-sufficient.” This calculation includes the cost of housing, food, healthcare, transportation and expenses like childcare for households with children.
According to a recent report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Floridians need to earn $37.27 an hour minimum to afford the average two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs alone. Paying more than that percentage on housing is considered a cost burden.
The Florida Policy Institute estimates that more than 1.1 million working people in Florida earn less than $15 an hour, including 113,400 workers in Orange County — representing roughly 13 percent of the county’s total workforce. “While Amendment 2 was a historic and promising step forward, this wage does not go far enough in today’s economic climate,” the progressive nonprofit research and policy organization notes.
Who is eligible to receive minimum wage in Florida?
Florida’s minimum wage requirements apply to all workers who are eligible to receive minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This generally applies to most employees, with certain exceptions. Those exceptions include, but are not limited to commissioned sales employees, farmworkers, certain workers with disabilities, incarcerated workers and independent contractors.
What happens if my employer pays me less than minimum wage?
Florida’s minimum wage, under Florida statutes, is singularly enforced by the state Attorney General’s Office, or any other official designated by the state legislature (there are currently no others). If you are eligible for minimum wage but believe your boss is short-changing you, you can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office online or by mail.
Fair warning: Public records obtained by journalists and labor advocates over the years have found there is little evidence that Florida’s Attorney General has ever taken any action to enforce Florida’s minimum wage. And under Florida Statutes, Florida’s AG is the only state official currently authorized to actually take action on this front (ICYMI: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush abolished the state department that previously had the responsibility of enforcing Florida’s wage and hour laws).
Florida Democrat and workers rights lawyer Jose Javier Rodriguez, who’s running for the position of state Attorney General in 2026, told Orlando Weekly he’d beef up enforcement of Florida’s minimum wage if elected.
So … is there another option?
Yes. You can also contact a private employment lawyer if you believe your boss is illegally paying you less than minimum wage. They may be able to help you — although the acceptance rate for minimum wage violation cases tends to be low.
You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor online or by calling 1-866-487-9243. However, because this federal department is only authorized to enforce the federal minimum wage, the U.S. DOL can only recover up to $7.25 an hour in cases of minimum wage violations.
Lastly, the following counties in Florida have actually implemented their own wage recovery programs for victims of wage theft (in the absence of a statewide wage recovery program). So, if you live in one of the following counties, their government program may be able to assist you:
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