Ohio Minimum Wage 2026: $11.00 an Hour, Adjusted Every January
Ohio’s minimum wage is $11.00 an hour, effective January 1, 2026, up from $10.70 in 2025. A constitutional amendment ties the rate to inflation and adjusts it every January 1st automatically — the state Department of Commerce announces the following year’s number in late September, giving employers about three months’ notice before it takes effect on January 1.
Ohio at a glance
| Current rate | $11.00 / hour |
|---|---|
| Effective | January 1, 2026 |
| Tipped cash wage | $5.50 / hour |
| Next scheduled change | Adjusts every January 1 for inflation — announced in late September |
What this means for hiring
Ohio’s automatic annual adjustment is easy to miss precisely because there’s no legislative vote to track — the number just changes on schedule every January 1st, announced roughly three months ahead. Smaller employers should also check whether Ohio’s minor/small-business exception applies to a specific role, since it permits paying the lower federal rate to some younger workers at very small employers.
Hiring hourly workers in Ohio?
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Book a DemoPart of Boostpoint’s minimum wage by state series, covering the 16 states where Boostpoint runs the most hiring campaigns.