Takeaways

• LB258 updates Nebraska’s Wage and Hour Act effective 07.17.26, while keeping the standard minimum wage at $15 per hour until 01.01.27.
• Annual minimum wage increases shift from CPI-based adjustments to a fixed 1.75% increase, starting 01.01.27.
• New lower wages apply to younger workers, including a $13.50 per hour youth wage for ages 14–15 and updated training wages for ages 16–19, with indexed future increases.

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Nebraska’s newly approved changes to the state’s Wage and Hour Act take effect on July 17, 2026. The amendments (LB258) include a new youth minimum wage and changes to the training wage. The standard minimum wage of $15 per hour, however, is unchanged and will remain in place until Jan. 1, 2027.

Whether you manage a large workforce or are a small business juggling tight margins, LB258 will affect payroll planning, hiring strategies, and compliance obligations.

What’s Changing

Relief for Annual Adjustments to Minimum Wage

Nebraska’s minimum wage increased to $15 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2026. It was slated to increase on Jan. 1 of each subsequent year based on the cost-of-living according to the Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region and rounded to the nearest multiple of five cents.

Now, instead of a cost-of-living adjustment, the minimum wage will increase by 1.75% on Jan. 1 of each year, beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.

New Youth Minimum Wage for Employees Ages 14–15

LB258 creates a lower minimum wage for certain youth workers as...

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