Ohio Minimum Wage Increasing January 1

The Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that Ohio’s minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $11 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.50 per hour for tipped employees effective Jan. 1, 2026. This adjustment represents a 2.8 percent increase from the current 2025 rates of $10.70 for non-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.

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.

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