St. Pete raises minimum wage for city worker to $15, regardless of length of employment

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Every city worker in St. Pete, whether they’re part-time or full-time, will begin making at least $15 an hour.

City Council approved a policy in 2015 that set a $15 minimum wage for employees who had worked for the city for at least five years. The new minimum wage goes into effect Friday.

That policy was expanded to include all city workers regardless of their length of employment.

"Everyone deserves to earn a living wage whether they’ve been on the job for five years or five days," said St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch.

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The policy change will impact over 200 employees and will cost the city about $218,000 for the balance of the 2022 fiscal year.

This move to expand the policy comes after a lot of concern over the cost of living. Rent is up more than 25% in St. Pete.

The city says it is working to create more affordable housing options for people and hopes this minimum wage increase will help alleviate some financial stresses in the meantime.