Most hourly workers in Cherry Hill will earn at least $16.48 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2027, after the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced a 56-cent minimum wage increase.
The rate applies statewide. New Jersey has no municipal minimum wages, so the new $16.48 floor, up from $15.92, covers every employer in Cherry Hill, including Route 70 corridor restaurants and Route 38 retail shops.
The annual adjustment is required by the state constitution and tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as first reported by NJ Spotlight News. Inflation hovered around 3.5% in the months before the September announcement, according to NJ Spotlight News.
Not every worker gets the same rate
Several categories of employees follow separate schedules under a 2019 law signed by former Gov. Phil Murphy:
- Seasonal and small employers (fewer than six employees): minimum wage rises from $15.23 to $16.25. Statutory increases for this group continue through 2028.
- Agricultural workers paid hourly or piece-rate: minimum wage rises from $14.20 to $15, hitting a benchmark set in the 2019 law. Their ramp-up continues through 2030.
- Long-term care facility direct-care staff: minimum wage rises 56 cents to $19.48.
- Tipped workers: minimum cash wage rises from $6.05 to $6.61. The maximum tip credit employers can claim stays at $9.87, according to ROI-NJ. If a tipped employee's cash wage plus tips falls short of the state minimum, the employer must cover the difference.
"Reaching the $15 benchmark for our agricultural workforce is a particularly meaningful step toward ensuring equity across industries," Acting Labor Commissioner Kevin D. Jarvis said Tuesday, Sept. 29, when the NJDOL announced the new rates.
How Cherry Hill got here
New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2013 linking the minimum wage to inflation. Murphy's 2019 law pushed the general rate from $8.85 to $10 that year and required at least $1 annual increases through 2024. The general rate passed the $15 target in 2024 and has risen with CPI since.
For context, neighboring Pennsylvania's minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour, and Delaware's sits at $15, according to CBS News Philadelphia.
Cherry Hill businesses should update payroll systems and workplace wage postings before Jan. 1.
