Ohio Minimum Wage Raises on January 1, 2026

Article presented by Classic Brands …

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Ohio’s minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $11 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.50 per hour for tipped employees. This adjustment represents a 2.8% increase from the current 2025 rates of $10.70 for non-tipped employees and $5.35 for tipped employees.

The change reflects the mandate of the Constitutional Amendment (II-34a), passed by Ohio voters in November 2006, which states Ohio’s minimum wage shall increase on Jan. 1 each year by the rate of inflation.

The minimum wage standard is tied to the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) for the 12-month period ending in August. The 2.8% increase corresponds to the CPI-W change from Sept. 1, 2024, to Aug. 31, 2025.

In addition to the wage rate adjustment, the threshold for business applicability will also change. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the Ohio minimum wage will apply to businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $405,000, which is an increase from the current $394,000 threshold. For employees at businesses with annual gross receipts of $405,000 or less per year after Jan. 1, 2026, and for 14- and 15-year-old workers, the state minimum wage remains tied to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Any changes to this rate would require an act of the U.S. Congress and the President’s signature.

To ensure compliance, employers are required to display the official 2026 Minimum Wage poster. The poster is currently available for download from the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Industrial Compliance website.