COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s minimum wage increased by 2.8% on Jan. 1, 2026, raising wages to $11 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.50 per hour for tipped workers. This adjustment, tied to inflation, was triggered by a 2006 constitutional amendment passed by Ohio voters.
The increase is expected to benefit approximately 150,000 Ohioans, according to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. This represents about 3% of Ohio’s total workforce, which includes 5.5 million jobs, according to Policy Matters Ohio.
The minimum wage for 2026 applies to employees at businesses with annual gross receipts exceeding $405,000. Employers earning below this threshold, as well as workers under age 16, are still paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour since 2009…