Omaha minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Omaha is $15.00 an hour in 2026. It rises to $15.55 on January 1, 2027. Omaha's ordinance took effect on October 1, 2026 at the same $15.00 as Nebraska, but it ties future increases to Midwest inflation rather than the state's fixed 1.75%, so the city rate moves above the state's from January 1, 2027. The Nebraska Attorney General is challenging it in court.
Contents10 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $15.00 an hour, since October 1, 202623 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $15.55 on January 1, 2027 (announced)1 |
| Tipped employees | $2.13 cash wage, tip credit up to $12.872 |
| Full-time pay | $600 a week, $31,200 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department, 402-444-5055 |
What to know about the Omaha minimum wage
The City Council passed Ordinance 44716 by a 4-3 vote on July 14, 2026, and the mayor signed it on July 21, 2026.45 It added Chapter 39 to the Omaha Municipal Code and set the city's minimum wage at $15.00 an hour for all ages from October 1, 2026.2
The difference from state law is the way the rate grows. Nebraska's LB 258 raises the state rate by a fixed 1.75% each year, while Omaha's code adjusts the city rate every January 1 by the August-to-August rise in the Midwest consumer price index, rounded up to the next five cents. The city's Human Rights and Relations Department has published $15.55 for January 1, 2027, against the state's $15.26.1
The ordinance is being litigated. The Nebraska Attorney General sued the city on August 18, 2026, arguing that it conflicts with LB 258.7 On September 28, 2026 the Douglas County District Court let the adult wage take effect but blocked, for now, the part that would have required the full city rate for young workers and trainees, so the state's youth and training wages apply to them.6
The rate applies to each hour worked inside city limits, including for employers based elsewhere. Employers must post the city's notice at every job site and keep wage records for three years, and the Human Rights and Relations Department takes complaints.2
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha minimum wage | Employees for each hour worked within Omaha city limits (Omaha Municipal Code ch. 39)$15.55 from January 1, 20271 | $15.0023 |
| Student-learners in a vocational training program | At least 75% of the Omaha minimum wage (Omaha Municipal Code section 39-3(e)). | See rule2 |
| Workers aged 14 and 15, and trainees | The ordinance would require the full city rate, but the Douglas County District Court blocked that part on September 28, 2026; until the case is decided, the Nebraska youth and training wages apply. | See rule6 |
Compared with Nebraska
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Omaha, that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $15.55 on January 1, 2027 | $15.00 |
| Nebraska (state) | $15.26 on January 1, 2027 | $15.00 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $2.13 an hour2 |
| Maximum tip credit | $12.87 an hour |
Tipped workers may be paid a cash wage of $2.13 an hour if wages plus tips reach the Omaha minimum wage; the employer must prove that a worker is tipped.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
How the rate changes
The rate is adjusted every January 1, starting in 2027, by the August-to-August rise in the consumer price index for the Midwest region, rounded up to the next five cents. The Human Rights and Relations Department publishes the new rate by October 15.
The Human Rights and Relations Department has published $15.55 for January 1, 2027, the first inflation adjustment under the ordinance.
Rate history
Who is covered
Every hour worked within Omaha city limits is covered, whatever the employer's location. The code exempts agricultural workers, babysitters in private homes, executive, administrative and professional staff, government employees, volunteers at nonprofit organizations, children employed by their parents, and seasonal employers operating no more than 20 weeks a year.
- Penalties are up to $500 per violation, and after notice each day counts separately.
- Retaliating against a worker for asserting rights under the ordinance is prohibited.
- Lincoln adopted its own minimum wage ordinance in May 2026, but a Lancaster County court blocked it in July 2026, so the Nebraska rate applies there.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department |
|---|---|
| Phone | 402-444-5055 |
| The law | Omaha Municipal Code, Chapter 39 (Minimum Wage), Secs. 39-1 to 39-10; Ordinance No. 44716 (passed 2026-07-14, signed 2026-07-21) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1
- 2 City of Omaha (via Municode), Omaha Municipal Code Chapter 39 – Minimum Wage Checked Oct 10, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 3
- 4 Omaha City Clerk, City Council Journal, July 14, 2026 (item 56) Checked Oct 10, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 5
- 6 City of Omaha, City Law Department Statement on Minimum Wage Ruling Checked Oct 10, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 7
- 8 City of Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department, Contact Us Checked Oct 10, 2026
- 9
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