Omaha Minimum Wage 2027: Nebraska Hits $15.26, City Rate Still in Court

OMAHA, NE — Nebraska's minimum wage goes from $15.00 to $15.26 an hour on January 1, 2027. Inside Omaha city limits, the number could land a little higher. A Douglas County judge has let the city's inflation-linked wage ordinance move forward while the state's lawsuit plays out, so your 2027 pay floor may depend on which side of a city line you work.

The statewide rate is set. Omaha's own rate is still in court. Here's what that means if you're job hunting from Millard to Council Bluffs.

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💵 Nebraska's 2027 Rates at a Glance

Statewide minimum, now	$15.00 an hour
Statewide minimum, Jan. 1, 2027	$15.26 an hour
Youth wage, ages 14–15	$13.50 an hour, unchanged in 2027
Training wage, ages 16–19, first 90 days	$13.70 an hour in 2027
Tipped employees	$2.13 an hour cash wage, with tips required to reach the full minimum
Council Bluffs and the rest of Iowa	$7.25 an hour

Why Nebraska's Raise Is Smaller Than Voters Expected

Voters approved a 2022 ballot measure that took the minimum wage to $15 in 2026, with inflation-based raises after that. This year the Legislature passed LB 258, signed by Gov. Jim Pillen in February, which replaces the inflation adjustment with a flat 1.75% raise every January 1.

The Nebraska Department of Labor's updated minimum wage notice lays out the new schedule: $15.26 in 2027, $15.53 in 2028, $15.80 in 2029 and $16.08 in 2030.

The Nebraska Examiner calculated the old formula would have produced $15.55 for 2027.

⚠️ Omaha's Ordinance: What the Judge Allowed, and What He Didn't

Omaha passed its own ordinance this year to restore the inflation-based raises and to require $15 for workers of every age. Attorney General Mike Hilgers sued, arguing state law controls. On September 28, Douglas County District Judge Timothy Burns split the difference in a temporary ruling.

Allowed for now: the inflation-linked increase starting January 1, 2027.
Blocked: the city's ban on the lower youth and training wages. Omaha employers can keep paying the state's youth rate.

News coverage of the ruling puts Omaha's possible 2027 increase at 3.6%, which works out to about $15.55. The city has not published an official 2027 rate that we could find. The ruling is temporary, the Attorney General has said more filings are coming, and Judge Burns retires at the end of October. Treat $15.55 as likely, not locked.

🗺️ The Address Where You Work Decides Your Floor

The Omaha ordinance covers work performed inside Omaha city limits. That includes Millard, Elkhorn and the West Dodge corridor. It does not cover Papillion, La Vista, Bellevue or Ralston, which are separate cities and follow the state rate.

Cross the Missouri River and the gap gets much wider. Iowa's minimum is $7.25, according to the Iowa Division of Labor, and Iowa law doesn't let cities set their own. A warehouse job in Council Bluffs and one off L Street can sit 15 minutes apart with legal minimums more than $8 apart.

What matters is where the work is done. Not where you live, and not where the company has its headquarters.

What It Means for Your Job Search

The legal minimum is a floor, not the going rate. Read the pay range on every listing and compare a few before you accept an offer. The new floor matters most for entry-level retail, fast food and teen jobs.

Starting a job between 16 and 19? Ask whether you're on the training wage, and when the 90 days end.

🔎 Where to Find Omaha Hourly Jobs

From Westroads to the Old Market to past 168th Street, start with these searches.

Start here:

Omaha Minimum Wage 2027: Common Questions

What is Nebraska's minimum wage in 2027?

$15.26 an hour starting January 1, 2027, up from $15.00.

Will Omaha's minimum wage be higher than the state's?

Possibly. A September 28 ruling let Omaha's inflation-linked raise move forward for now, and news reports put it near $15.55. The case is still open.

Can Omaha employers still pay teens $13.50?

Yes, for now. The judge blocked the part of Omaha's ordinance that would have ended the youth and training wages.

What's the minimum wage in Council Bluffs?

$7.25 an hour, Iowa's state rate. Iowa cities can't set a higher one.

Put the New Rate to Work

Create your free LocalJobPage account to save searches and get new Omaha openings as they post, or visit the LocalJobPage Career Center to plan your next move.

Employers: setting 2027 pay bands from Elkhorn to Bellevue? Post your openings on LocalJobPage and reach Omaha job seekers who are already comparing offers.