Nebraska Minimum Wage in 2026
Nebraska’s minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in 2026, the last step of the increase voters approved in 2022 (Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-1203). It applies to employers with four or more employees.
Key facts
- From January 1, 2027, the wage rises 1.75% a year under LB 258, not with inflation as the 2022 measure set.
- Tipped workers get $2.13 an hour in cash, and tips must bring them up to the minimum.
- Since July 18, 2026, employers may pay $13.50 to workers who are 14 or 15.
- $15.00
- Nebraska minimum wage, 2026
- 1.75%
- Yearly raise from January 1, 2027
- $31,200
- A full-time year at the minimum, before taxes
At 2,080 hours a year, the minimum wage pays $31,200 before taxes.
How Nebraska Reached $15
Initiative 433, approved by voters in 2022, raised the wage in four yearly steps. The schedule is still written into the statute (48-1203(1)).
Nebraska minimum wage by year under Initiative 433
Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-1203(1)
How LB 258 Changed the Yearly Raise
The 2022 measure tied raises after 2026 to inflation; LB 258 replaced that with a flat 1.75% a year, starting January 1, 2027 (48-1203(2)). The Legislature passed it 33 to 16 on February 5, 2026, and the governor signed it on February 9, 2026 (LB 258 history).
The Nebraska Constitution lets the Legislature change a law passed by initiative only with “at least two-thirds of all the members,” which is 33 of 49. LB 258 passed with 33 votes (Neb. Const. art. III, sec. 2).
A 1.75% raise on $15.00 comes to about $15.26. The Department of Labor must publish the official 2027 rate by October 15, 2026 (48-1203(2)).
Tipped, Youth and Training Wages in Nebraska
Three groups can be paid less than $15.00, and LB 258 created two of them.
Lower wages Nebraska law allows
Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-1203 and 48-1203.01
An employer may not cut another worker’s hours or lay someone off to fill the job at the training wage (48-1203.01).
Nebraska and Neighboring States
Nebraska’s 2026 rate is above the rate in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Minimum wage in Nebraska and its neighbors, 2026
Source: Resist Now's minimum wage dataset, from each state's labor department
Our minimum wage by state page has every state’s rate and the scheduled changes.
Nebraska Minimum Wage by Situation
Nebraska minimum wage rules for your situation
- Your employer must pay at least $2.13 an hour in cash.
- If your tips plus that wage fall short of the minimum, your employer must pay the difference.
- At 14 or 15 you may be paid $13.50 an hour.
- At 16 to 19 you may be paid $13.50 for your first 90 days.
- Keep your pay stubs and a record of your hours.
- Contact the Nebraska Department of Labor.
Nebraska Minimum Wage Questions
What is the minimum wage in Nebraska in 2026?
$15.00 an hour in 2026, the last step of the minimum wage voters approved in 2022.
Will Nebraska’s minimum wage go up in 2027?
Yes. It rises 1.75% on January 1, 2027 and each January 1 after. LB 258, signed February 9, 2026, replaced the inflation adjustment voters approved in 2022 with that flat rate. The Department of Labor publishes the new rate by October 15.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Nebraska?
$2.13 an hour in cash, plus tips. If wages plus tips fall short of the minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.
Is there a youth minimum wage in Nebraska?
Yes, since July 18, 2026. Employers may pay $13.50 an hour to workers who are 14 or 15, and a $13.50 training wage to new workers aged 16 to 19 for up to 90 days.
What You Can Do
- Check your pay stub against the $15.00 rate, or $2.13 in cash if you earn tips.
- Report unpaid wages to the Nebraska Department of Labor.
- Compare other states on our minimum wage by state page.
- Vote on November 3. The governor and legislative seats are on the ballot. See our Nebraska governor race guide.