Nebraska minimum wage 2027.

The Nebraska minimum wage in 2027

Nebraska's minimum wage is scheduled to rise from $15.00 to $15.26 an hour on January 1, 2027. The Nebraska Department of Labor publishes the full schedule through 2030, so the next four increases are already known.

What changed from 2026

The 2027 step is 26 cents, from $15.00 to $15.26. After that the schedule climbs to $15.53 in 2028, $15.80 in 2029 and $16.08 in 2030. The youth minimum for 14 and 15 year olds stays at $13.50 until 2030, when it becomes $13.70. The 90 day training wage for 16 to 19 year olds rises from $13.50 to $13.70 on January 1, 2027, and to $13.91 in 2028.

Youth, training and tipped wages

Beginning July 18, 2026 an employer may pay a youth minimum wage of $13.50 an hour to employees who are 14 or 15, and a new employee who is 16 to 19 and is not a seasonal or migrant worker can be paid a training wage for 90 days from the hire date, subject to the wage rate, terms and conditions in section 48-1203.01 of the Nebraska statutes. The department's schedule shows the youth wage rising 1.5 percent every fifth year after 2030. For employees of the smallest businesses, fewer than four people, the schedule does not apply.

How the rate is set

The Nebraska Department of Labor schedule applies to every employer of four or more persons at any one time. Employees who are paid gratuities must receive combined hourly wage and gratuities at least equal to the applicable minimum wage, the hourly wage must be at least $2.13 an hour, and the employer is responsible for making up any difference. Student learners in a bona fide vocational training program must be paid at least 75 percent of the state minimum wage.

Worked example (2027)

A full-time worker at the Nebraska 2027 minimum of $15.26 an hour, 40 hours a week, earns $610.40 a week, $1,220.80 every two weeks, $2,645.07 a month and $31,740.80 a year (2,080 hours) before tax. At the 2026 rate of $15.00 the same schedule paid $31,200.00 a year, so the 2027 rate adds $540.80. For a tipped worker the direct cash wage is $2.13. With 30 hours a week and tips averaging $8.00 an hour, pay is $10.13 an hour against a $15.26 minimum, so the employer owes a top-up of $5.13 an hour, $153.90 for the week. Part-time at 25 hours a week is $381.50 a week and $19,838.00 a year.

Method

The converter multiplies the hourly rate by your hours per week for weekly pay, doubles it for two weeks, multiplies by 52 weeks (2,080 hours at 40 a week) for annual pay and divides the annual figure by 12 for a month. It is gross pay before tax. The tipped-worker check adds the $2.13 cash wage and your average tips per hour and compares the total with the $15.26 minimum. If the total falls short, the shortfall times your hours is the top-up the employer owes for the week. Figures were read from the sources below on November 9, 2026.

What this does not cover

• Overtime, which is a separate rule, and unpaid time off.
• Local minimum wages that are higher than the state rate. Check the city or county where the work is done.
• Special rates for students, trainees, small employers or other exemptions not named on this page.
• Taxes and deductions: Nebraska pay here is gross pay before tax.

Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.

Sources

• Nebraska Department of Labor: State of Nebraska minimum wage schedule (PDF) (retrieved November 9, 2026)