Triad Minimum Wage Climbs to $20 by 2027
Employers competing for Triad health and support staff will face a $20 regional wage benchmark set by Baptist.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist will raise its minimum hourly wage by $1.15 to $20 in 2027, as part of a broader compensation package for its Triad and northwest North Carolina workforce. The change lifts annual pay for minimum-wage employees from $39,208 to $41,600 and affects a system of roughly 27,000 employees.
Why it matters
The increase signals how large regional health systems are competing for entry-level and support staff in a tight labor market. It also resets the wage floor for employers that compete with Baptist for workers across North Carolina's Triad.
Baptist's minimum wage rises 6.1% to $20 an hour in 2027, lifting annual pay for minimum-wage staff from $39,208 to $41,600 across roughly 27,000 Triad and northwest North Carolina employees. Cone Health pays a minimum of $18 an hour across about 13,000 Triad employees, and Novant Health pays $17 across about 10,400, figures that position Baptist's floor above both.
The players
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
The largest private employer in the Triad, operating a regional health system with roughly 27,000 employees across the Triad and northwest North Carolina.
Advocate Health
A multi-state health system with about 170,000 employees that approved the $1.24 billion compensation package covering its workforce.
Cone Health
A Triad health system with about 13,000 employees and a current minimum wage of $18 an hour, a benchmark for regional competitors.
Novant Health
A Triad health system with about 10,400 employees and a current minimum wage of $17 an hour, a benchmark for regional competitors.
The details
The minimum-wage increase applies systemwide as part of a $1.24 billion compensation package for Advocate Health's 170,000 employees, which includes $846 million in additional compensation and $390 million in incremental benefits. Beyond the minimum-wage change, the additional compensation covers merit increases, incentives, and pay-range updates. Advocate also plans to spend $138 million to absorb more than 90% of a projected $149 million increase in medical plan costs.
Timeline
January 2024: First $1 an hour minimum-wage increase took effect.
January 2025: Second $1 an hour minimum-wage increase took effect.
January 2026: A 35-cent minimum-wage increase took effect.
2027: Minimum hourly wage rises by $1.15 to $20.
Market Landscape
Baptist's stepped increases since January 2024 have pushed its minimum wage above the $18 floor at Cone Health and the $17 floor at Novant Health. The 2027 change keeps Baptist ahead in the Triad, where the largest private employers compete directly for the same support and entry-level workforce.
Employers in the Triad that compete with Baptist for support and entry-level staff should review their own wage floors against the $20 benchmark before 2027. Operators in health staffing and healthcare-adjacent businesses should model how a higher floor affects pay compression for workers just above minimum wage.
The takeaway
Plan for a $20 regional wage floor by 2027 and track whether Cone Health and Novant Health close the gap with their own announcements. Consult a qualified accountant or employment counsel before adjusting your own pay structure, since the right change depends on your staffing and budget.
Further reading
For broader context on pay trends in hospital staffing, see Nursing Jobs for coverage of how wage floors are shifting across North Carolina's health systems.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Winston-Salem Journal.
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