Ohio's minimum wage is set to increase 30 cents to $7.70 per hour on Jan.1.
The increase is part of a constitutional amendment voters approved in 2006, which says minimum wage will increase each year at the rate of inflation. The liberal think tank Policy Matters Ohio says data shows an estimated 347,000 workers will receive wage increases.
The $7.70 rate applies to workers 16 and older who don't get tips. The wage for tipped employees will be $3.85, up 15 cents, but their total pay cannot be less than $7.70 hourly.
The wage will be required from employers who gross more than $283,000 annually, up from the current $271,000.
For smaller companies, and for 14- and 15-year-old workers, the minimum wage matches the federal rate, currently $7.25 per hour.