Florida’s minimum wage is set to increase from $14 an hour to $15 an hour starting Sept. 30, 2026.
Florida’s Amendment 2, also known as the “$15 Minimum Wage Initiative,” was approved on the Florida ballot in 2020. The amendment was designed to increase the state’s minimum wage by $1 dollar every year until reaching $15 per hour in September of 2026. To kickstart the initiative, the amendment raised minimum wage from $8.56 in 2020 to $10.00 in September of 2021.
It received a 70.5% “yes” vote in Miami-Dade county, with neighboring counties like Broward and Palm Beach County voting similarly.
Federal rate
This amendment established a much higher minimum wage than the federal rate created through the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which was passed by Congress and signed into law in May of 2007. It set the U.S. minimum wage at $7.25 per hour, raising it from $5.15 in three phases.
This rate has not changed since July 24, 2009, while inflation and the cost of living have risen since then.
The most recent development in a possible federal increase was in April of 2026, when the “Living Wage For All Act” was introduced to the House by Rep. Delia C. Ramirez and to the Senate by Sen. Chris Murphy in July of 2026.
Political Science professor and Director of the Hanley Democracy Center Gregory Koger says the increase is a win for Florida residents.
“This increase represents a victory for Florida voters and for lower-wage workers who will see their hourly wages increase. Indirectly, it also benefits Florida businesses that serve working-class Floridians because their customers will have more money to spend,” he said. “While some critics of minimum wages have argued that employers will decrease hiring or hours of labor, the economic evidence for this claim is mixed at best.”
Only two members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida — Rep. Maxwell Frost and Rep. Frederica S. Wilson — have co-sponsored the bill as of now.
“It would be in the economic interests of Florida businesses for Florida’s Congressional delegation to support a national minimum wage at least as high as Florida’s current law,” said Koger.
On-campus jobs
University of Miami students who work on campus can expect to see their rates change to $15 as the increase also applies to private universities in Florida. The Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment sent an email on Aug. 27 informing students of the new minimum wage.
“We are pleased to announce the minimum wage for student employees will increase to $15 per hour effective Sept. 24, 2026. The increase will be reflected in your Oct. 16 paycheck for time worked between Sept. 24 and Oct. 7,” the email read.
The statement encouraged specific questions to be directed to respective supervisors.
For students who work on campus, the change has been a topic of conversation.
“I have worked at the Toppel Career Center for two years going on three now. I did know the minimum wage increased by a dollar, but I found out through channels other than my employer,” said Isa Romanov, a student employee at the Toppel Career Center. “I believe it was through word of mouth on campus.”
What happens next?
Future minimum wage increases will be “adjusted annually for inflation starting Sept. 30, 2027,” according to Florida’s Department of State. Any federal increase would have to be initiated through Congress.