The minimum wage rate in New York is $5.15 per hour. Other wage rates are in effect in specific industries pursuant to wage orders. The law states that when the statutory minimum increases, existing wage order rates must be raised in the same proportion.

All employees are covered by New York's minimum wage law, except: (1) part-time babysitters in the home of an employer; (2) individuals who live in the home of an employer while serving as a companion to a sick, convalescing or elderly person and whose principal duties do not include housekeeping; (3) farm laborers; (4) executive, administrative or professional employees; (5) outside salespersons; (6) taxicab drivers; (7) volunteers, learner or apprentice for a corporation, unincorporated association, community chest, fund or foundation organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable or educational purposes — no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual; (8) members of a religious orders, duly ordained, commissioned or licensed ministers, priests or rabbis, or sextons or Christian Science readers; (9) workers in or for a religious or charitable institution, when work is incidental to or in return for charitable aid conferred upon such individual and not under any express contract of hire; (10) students working in or for religious, educational or charitable institutions; (11) workers in or for religious, educational or charitable institutions if the individual's earning capacity is impaired by age or by physical or mental deficiency or injury; (12) employees of religious, educational or charitable institutions' summer camps or conferences, if employed for not more than three months annually; (13) staff counselors at children's camps; (14) students working in college or university fraternity, sorority, student associations or faculty associations (recognized by the college or university), whose net earnings do not inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual; or (15) federal, state or municipal government or political subdivision employees.