Florida's minimum wage set to increase on Jan. 1

Florida's minimum wage will increase to $8.25 an hour Monday, 15 cents higher than the current rate.

Under a state constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2004, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity adjusts the wage each year based on changes in a federal consumer price index.

The wage applies to all Florida workers who are covered by the federal minimum wage, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.

Since the passage of the amendment and the enactment of Florida's minimum wage law in 2005, the state minimum wage has risen $2.10 an hour, or 34 percent, since the original wage was set at $6.15 in 2005.

The 15-cent increase for 2018 is the largest hourly increase since 2012, when the wage rose by 36 cents an hour, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.

Cox Media Group