Wage & hour - New York

The Division of Labor Standards enforces the New York State Labor Laws concerning minimum wage, hours of work, child labor, payment of wages and wage supplements, industrial homework, apparel industry registration and farm labor. It also administers the Employment Agency Law (Article 11 of the General Business Law) outside New York City.

State Child Labor Laws: With some exemptions, minors must be at least 14 years of age to be employed in the state of New York. New York law prohibits minors from working in some occupations and limits working hours for persons under the age of 18. Employment certificates and permits are required for minors under 18 years of age. The employer must post scheduled hours of work each week for minors.

For Establishments covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, federal laws on minimum wage, overtime pay, and minors labor may in some cases set higher standards than state requirements. The requirements of state law do not affect an employer's obligation to comply with any provisions of federal law.

New York rules on employment of minors can be found at Chapter 31, Article 4 of the New York State Consolidated Laws.

State Minimum Wage: Effective January 1, 2025, the New York minimum wage is $15.50 per hour. The New York Minimum Wage Act can be found at Chapter 31, Article 19 of the New York State Consolidated Laws.

State Prevailing Wage: The Labor Department issues wage schedules on a county-by-county basis that contain minimum rates of pay for different work classifications. New York state law requires that these schedules be made part of all contracts between a government entity and a contractor. No threshold amount for contract coverage has been set under the state prevailing wage law. The New York Prevailing Wage for Building Service Employees rules can be found at Chapter 31, Article 9 of the New York State Consolidated Laws.

Contact information

• New York State Department of Labor
  W. A. Harriman State Office Campus
  Building 12
  Albany, NY 12240-0003
  Phone: 518-457-9000
  Website: www.labor.ny.gov/home/