Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to double Pennsylvania's minimum wage, and for the first time in decades, he has the votes to do it.

Shapiro pledged that the first bill on his desk in January 2027 will raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour, 2822news reported. The governor made the promise at a rally in Lancaster.

The pledge follows Democrats' capture of a legislative trifecta, their first since the 1990s, after flipping the state Senate while keeping the House and the governor's office. As we reported Nov. 4, Brian Wrightson's win in the 40th Senate District helped seal that flip.

Pennsylvania's minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since July 2009, matching the federal floor. That is the lowest rate in the region. New York pays $17 an hour, New Jersey $15.92, Delaware and Maryland each pay $15, and Ohio pays $11, according to HiveDesk's compliance tracker, citing U.S. Department of Labor figures as of July 2026.

The gap matters in Monroe County, where hospitality and food service employers compete for workers with businesses across the New Jersey and New York borders.

What a prior bill would have meant locally

The exact legislation Shapiro will push in January has not been identified. But a bill that passed the state House in 2025, House Bill 1549, offers a window into what the increase could look like, according to an analysis by law firm Jackson Lewis.

Under HB 1549, Monroe County and 18 other mid-size counties would have seen a phased increase: $12 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2026, rising to $13 on Jan. 1, 2027, and reaching $15 on Jan. 1, 2028. Philadelphia would have jumped straight to $15. Annual cost-of-living adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) would have started Jan. 1, 2029.

That bill also would have raised the tipped minimum wage to 60% of the new rate. Tipped workers in Pennsylvania earn a cash wage of $2.83 an hour. Under HB 1549's formula, that would eventually rise to $9 an hour.

HB 1549 never cleared the Senate. Whether the new trifecta will revive that tiered approach or push a flat $15 statewide remains an open question.

Business groups push back

State Sen. Vincent Hughes, the Appropriations Committee's minority chairman, signaled urgency. In coverage published Nov. 4, Hughes said, "If you are working and making the minimum wage in Pennsylvania, we are going to, as first order of business, double that sucker and get you some more money in your pockets."

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce has opposed mandated increases. The chamber's position statement argues that wage mandates lead to reduced hours, job losses and higher prices. The chamber favors a state Earned Income Tax Credit and workforce development programs instead.

A June 2023 study by the Employment Policies Institute estimated a $15 minimum wage would cost Pennsylvania about 85,779 jobs statewide. The study projected the restaurant and bar industry would account for roughly half of those losses. The analysis was conducted by economists William Even of Miami University and David Macpherson of Trinity University using Congressional Budget Office methodology.

No response from the Pocono Chamber of Commerce or local Stroudsburg-area employers was available as of publication.

What comes next

Pennsylvania last raised its minimum wage 17 years ago. Shapiro has said he would sign a minimum wage bill if one reached his desk, and with Democrats now controlling both chambers, the path is clearer than at any point since the 1990s.

The legislature convenes in January 2027. The specific bill number, phase-in schedule and whether Monroe County would see a gradual or immediate jump to $15 have not been announced.