Bayamón Mayor Ramón Luis Rivera Cruz announced Tuesday that the municipality has raised its minimum wage from $10.25 to $12.50 an hour, a $2.25 increase affecting about 1,214 municipal employees, effective in the October 1 payroll. The raise, approved by the Municipal Legislature in the budget, carries a $5 million impact. Rivera Cruz said Bayamón is now the first municipality to raise its minimum wage scale to $12.50, meaning employees could see increases of up to 32%, or around $450 more per month.
He noted the raise comes despite budget adjustments forced by the elimination of state funding to municipalities, made possible through savings, and said it benefits employees also facing high living costs. Separately, the municipality raised its employer contribution to employees' medical plan by 12.96% effective June 1, adding $1.2 million in the new fiscal year. Bayamón's total municipal workforce is 1,957.
The mayor clarified the wage adjustment does not apply to employees paid with federal funds, who were previously addressed, nor to the Municipal Police, whose pay plan was already amended, raising their base salary from $2,600 to $3,200 monthly plus a $200 high-risk stipend.