Florida Raises State Minimum Wage

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity recently announced that effective January 1, 2019, the Florida minimum wage is $8.46 per hour.

Florida law requires the Department to calculate a minimum wage rate each year.  The annual calculation is based on the percentage increase in the Federal Consumer Price index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers for the South Region for the 12-month period to September 1, 2018.  The minimum wage applies to all employees in the state who are covered by the federal minimum wage.

Employers of “tipped employees,” who meet eligibility requirements for the tip credit under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), may credit towards satisfaction of the minimum wage tips up to the amount of the allowable FLSA tip credit in 2003.  However, the employer must pay “tipped employees” a direct wage.  This is calculated as equal to the minimum wage of $8.46 minus the 2003 tip credit of $3.02, or a direct hourly wage of $5.44 as of January 1, 2019.

More information may be found here.