On January 1, 2019, the minimum wage in New Jersey will go up to $8.85. That's a 25-cent increase from the going rate of $8.60-an-hour. At $8.85 an hour, a worker will earn $354 for a 40-hour week, or $18,408 a year.
Democrat leaders in New Jersey have been trying to nail down a $15 minimum wage, but those efforts have stalled. Governor Murphy says that New Jersey's minimum wage is the "fifth most insufficient in the nation." Senate President Stephen Sweeney is concerned how the wage will affect smaller businesses and says it is unlikely to go higher this year.