A Guide to Florida Minimum Wage in 2026

Employees across Florida deserve to be paid fairly for the work they perform. Whether you work in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Pensacola, or anywhere else in the state, Florida’s minimum wage laws set a baseline for what many employees must be paid.

So, what is the minimum wage in Florida in 2026?

As of 2026, the current minimum wage in Florida is $14.00 per hour through September 29, 2026. On September 30, 2026, Florida’s minimum wage increases to $15.00 per hour. For tipped employees, the minimum cash wage is currently $10.98 per hour, plus tips, and it increases to $11.98 per hour on September 30, 2026.

Florida’s minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009. In most situations, when Florida law provides a higher minimum wage than federal law, covered Florida employees must be paid the higher state rate.

If your paycheck does not reflect the correct Florida minimum wage, or if your employer is using tips, salary status, deductions, or off-the-clock work to avoid paying you properly, you may have a wage claim. Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A. helps Florida employees understand their rights and fight back when employers fail to pay what they owe.

What Is the Minimum Wage in Florida in 2026?

The minimum wage in Florida is $14.00 per hour through September 29, 2026. Beginning September 30, 2026, the Florida minimum wage increases to $15.00 per hour.

This applies statewide. There is no separate minimum wage for Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, or West Palm Beach. If you are searching for the minimum wage in Orlando, Pensacola, or any Florida city, the statewide Florida minimum wage is the rate that applies.

Here is the 2026 Florida minimum wage schedule:

Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2020 that created annual $1.00 increases until the state minimum wage reaches $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026. After that, Florida’s minimum wage is scheduled to adjust annually for inflation.

You can review Florida’s official wage notice through the Florida Commerce minimum wage poster and required notices page.

Is Florida’s Minimum Wage Higher Than the Federal Minimum Wage?

Yes. Florida’s minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage.

The federal minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour. However, Florida’s minimum wage is currently $14.00 per hour and increases to $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026.

That difference matters. If an employer in Florida is paying an employee only the federal minimum wage, that may be a serious wage violation unless a narrow exception applies. In many cases, Florida employees are entitled to the higher Florida minimum wage, not the lower federal rate.

Employees who believe they are being underpaid may also want to review Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A.’s related information on Fair Labor Standards Act wage protections and Florida wage disputes.

Florida Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees in 2026

Tipped employees in Florida can be paid a lower direct cash wage than non-tipped employees, but only if their tips bring them up to at least the full Florida minimum wage.

Through September 29, 2026, the Florida tipped employee minimum cash wage is $10.98 per hour, plus tips. Beginning September 30, 2026, the tipped employee’s cash wage increases to $11.98 per hour, plus tips.

This commonly affects workers in restaurants, bars, hotels, salons, delivery roles, and other service-based jobs where tips are part of compensation.

However, your employer cannot simply pay the tipped wage and ignore the rest. If your hourly cash wage plus your tips do not equal at least the full Florida minimum wage, your employer generally must make up the difference.

For example, if you are a tipped employee in Florida and your tips are low during a shift or pay period, your employer may still be responsible for ensuring your total pay reaches the required minimum wage.

Tipped employees should also pay close attention to tip pooling, service charges, deductions, and manager involvement in tip distribution. If you believe your tips are being taken, reduced, or distributed unlawfully, Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A.’s page on Florida tip pooling laws may help you understand what could be happening.

Does Minimum Wage Apply to Salaried Employees in Florida?

Being paid a salary does not automatically mean you are exempt from minimum wage laws.

Some employers place employees on a salary and assume that ends the discussion. It does not. A salaried employee may still be entitled to minimum wage and overtime protections depending on their job duties, pay structure, classification, and whether they are properly treated as exempt or non-exempt under the law.

If your salary, when divided by the number of hours you actually work, falls below the Florida minimum wage, that could be a problem. This issue can become even more serious when salaried employees regularly work long hours, perform non-managerial duties, or are misclassified as exempt to avoid overtime or wage obligations.

Employees with questions about salary, exempt status, overtime, and minimum wage may want to review Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A.’s information on unpaid overtime in Florida and overtime pay calculations.

Common Florida Minimum Wage Violations

Minimum wage violations are not always obvious. Some employees know right away that they are being paid too little. Others only notice after reviewing pay stubs, tip records, time entries, or overtime calculations.

Common Florida minimum wage violations may include:

• Paying less than the current Florida minimum wage
• Paying only the federal minimum wage instead of the higher Florida rate
• Failing to increase wages after the September 30 annual increase
• Paying tipped employees less than the required cash wage
• Failing to make up the difference when tips do not reach the full minimum wage
• Requiring employees to work before clocking in or after clocking out
• Deducting uniforms, equipment, shortages, walk-outs, or breakage in a way that drops pay below minimum wage
• Misclassifying workers as independent contractors
• Misclassifying employees as exempt from wage protections
• Not paying for mandatory meetings, training, setup, cleanup, or travel time when that time should be compensable

If your paycheck does not match the hours you worked or the current minimum wage in Florida, do not ignore it. Wage violations can add up quickly, especially when they happen over weeks, months, or years.

What Should You Do If You Are Paid Less Than The Florida Minimum Wage?

If you think you are being paid less than the Florida minimum wage, start by gathering information. The more documentation you have, the easier it may be to understand what happened.

Helpful records may include:

• Pay stubs
• Timecards or timekeeping records
• Work schedules
• Tip records
• Text messages or emails about pay
• Employee handbooks or pay policies
• Job offer letters
• Notes showing when you worked off the clock
• Records of deductions from your paycheck

You should also compare your pay rate to the correct Florida minimum wage for the dates you worked. This is important because Florida’s minimum wage has changed each year, and the 2026 increase happens on September 30.

If your employer refuses to correct the issue, delays payment, threatens your job, cuts your hours, or retaliates after you ask about wages, it may be time to speak with an employment attorney. Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A. provides resources on unpaid wages and how to file an unpaid wages claim in Florida for employees who believe they have not been paid properly.

Can Your Employer Retaliate If You Ask About Minimum Wage?

Employers should not retaliate against employees for asking about lawful pay, reporting wage issues, or trying to recover unpaid wages.

Retaliation can take many forms. It may include termination, reduced hours, demotion,  or termination.

For example, if you ask why your paycheck does not reflect the current Florida minimum wage and your employer cuts your shifts the next week, that may raise concerns. If you complain about unpaid wages and are fired soon after, that may also be worth discussing with an attorney.

Minimum wage issues often overlap with retaliation, unpaid overtime, wage theft, and broader workplace rights. If you believe your employer punished you for speaking up, Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A.’s retaliation attorneys can evaluate your situation and determine whether your employer’s actions might violate your rights.

Florida Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay

Minimum wage and overtime are separate but related wage issues.

Minimum wage determines the lowest hourly rate that many employees must be paid. Overtime generally applies when non-exempt employees work more than 40 hours in a workweek and must be paid one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for overtime hours.

If your employer is already paying you below minimum wage, your overtime may also be calculated incorrectly. This can happen when employers use the wrong base rate, fail to include certain earnings, ignore hours worked off the clock, or misclassify employees as exempt.

Tipped employees should be especially careful. Overtime for tipped workers can be more complicated because the employer may claim a tip credit, but the calculation still has to comply with wage and hour laws. If the math is wrong, you may be underpaid.

For more information, review Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A.’s resources on unpaid overtime and mandatory overtime in Florida.

How Much Money Could You Be Owed for a Minimum Wage Violation?

The amount you may be owed depends on several factors, including:

• The rate you were actually paid
• The correct Florida minimum wage during the time period involved
• The number of hours you worked
• Whether you worked overtime
• Whether tips were counted correctly
• Whether deductions reduced your pay below minimum wage
• How long the underpayment continued
• Whether other wage violations happened at the same time

For example, an employee paid $12.00 per hour in 2026 when they should have been paid $14.00 per hour may be missing $2.00 for every hour worked before considering any overtime, deductions, or additional damages that may apply.

Small hourly differences can become significant. A few dollars per hour across months of work may result in substantial unpaid wages.

When to Contact a Florida Minimum Wage Attorney

You may want to contact an employment attorney if:

• You are being paid less than the Florida minimum wage
• Your employer did not update your pay after the annual increase
• You are a tipped employee, and your tips do not bring you up to minimum wage
• Your employer takes part of your tips
• You are paid a salary, but your actual hourly rate may fall below minimum wage
• You work off the clock before or after your shift
• You are not paid for training, meetings, setup, cleanup, or required work time
• Your employer deducts money from your paycheck in a way that reduces your pay below minimum wage
• You were fired, disciplined, or had your hours reduced after asking about pay

Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A. is dedicated to protecting the rights of Florida employees. The firm helps workers pursue unpaid wages, minimum wage violations, unpaid overtime, tip violations, commissions, bonuses, and other wage disputes.

If you believe you are not being paid what you are legally owed, contact Wenzel Fenton Cabassa P.A. for a free case evaluation.