New Jersey Per Diem Allowance

Calculate New Jersey’s per diem rate based on GSA guidelines to simplify your business travels.

Find my State   ↓

Trusted by 2000+ Customers

  • Aprio
  • Centric
  • Classic Collision
  • Datastax
  • Disruptive
  • E3 Environmental
  • Encore Enterprises
  • Keystone
  • May Mobility
  • Sprenger
  • TST Construction
  • Williams Homes

Strategically located between New York City and Philadelphia, New Jersey is a critical corridor for commerce, pharmaceuticals, technology, and logistics. Business travel is constant throughout the state, from the dense corporate hubs of Newark and Jersey City to the suburban counties and the Jersey Shore. 

To manage travel expenses effectively, a solid understanding of per diem rates is essential. This guide provides a detailed look at the per diem rates for New Jersey, important state laws every employer should know, and how you can automate the process for maximum efficiency.

New Jersey Per Diem Rates

Per diem rates for official travel in New Jersey are established by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Due to its proximity to major metropolitan areas and its own high-cost regions, nearly all of New Jersey is covered by Non-Standard Area (NSA) rates that are higher than the standard U.S. rate.

For Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025), key rates are broken down as follows:

Major Metro Areas 

New Jersey's primary business and government centers have specific NSA rates.

  • Newark Area (Essex, Bergen, Hudson, & Passaic Counties):
    • M&IE: $86 per day
    • Lodging: $156 per night (year-round)
    • The first and last day of travel M&IE rate is $64.50.
  • Princeton/Trenton Area (Mercer County):
    • M&IE: $86 per day
    • Lodging: $138 per night (year-round)
  • Cherry Hill/Moorestown Area (Camden & Burlington Counties):
    • M&IE: $80 per day
    • Lodging: $112 per night (year-round)

Tourist and High-Cost Areas 

Key coastal and suburban areas also have their own designated rates.

  • Eatontown/Freehold Area (Monmouth County):
    • M&IE: $86 per day
    • Lodging: $146 per night (year-round)

Standard CONUS Rate 

For any county in New Jersey not specifically listed by the GSA—which includes some well-known shore destinations like Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and Cape May (Cape May County)—the standard CONUS rate applies. For FY 2025, this rate is $178 ($110 for lodging and $68 for M&IE).

New Jersey Per Diem Rate Calculator

To find the precise per diem allowance for your trip anywhere in New Jersey, our calculator provides instant and accurate results based on the official GSA schedule.

{{ state.name }}
{{ county }}

Your per diem allowance

Dates
Lodging (L)
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
Total (L + M&IE)
{{ value }}
{{ result.label }}
Lodging (L)
{{ result.lodging }}
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
{{ result.meals }}
Total (L + M&IE)
{{ result.total }}
*For the first and last day of travel, M&lE spend is limited to 75% of its normal, daily allowance.

New Jersey GSA Lodging Rates

Financial year
{{ lodgingYear }}
{{ lastYear(lodgingYear) }}
{{ lodgingYear }}
County
{{ month }}
{{ result.county }}
{{ result.lodging[month] ? `$${result.lodging[month]}` : '' }}

New Jersey Meals and Incidental Rates

Financial year
{{ mealsYear }}
County
Daily M&IE Total
{{ result.county }}
{{ result.meals ? `$${result.meals}` : '' }}

Some Important New Jersey Per Diem Laws

While GSA sets federal travel rates, private employers in New Jersey must adhere to the state's robust wage and hour laws, which offer strong employee protections.

  • New Jersey Wage Payment Law (WPL): This is the key statute. The WPL prohibits employers from withholding or diverting any portion of an employee's wages for any purpose not explicitly authorized by law.
  • Expense Reimbursement May Be Required: While New Jersey does not have a specific statute that says "employers must reimburse all expenses," recent court interpretations suggest they may be legally obligated to do so. A 2024 NJ Appellate Division case indicated that forcing an employee to use their personal vehicle for work without reimbursement could be considered an unlawful diversion of wages under the WPL, as it effectively transfers the employer's operating costs to the employee. This strongly implies that employers are required to reimburse necessary business expenses.
  • Minimum Wage: New Jersey has a state minimum wage that is significantly higher than the federal standard. As of January 1, 2025, the rate is $15.48 per hour for most employers. This provides a high floor of protection under the federal FLSA rule, which states that unreimbursed business expenses cannot cause an employee's effective wage to fall below the minimum wage.

New Jersey Per Diem Laws vs Federal Law

The per diem landscape for a private company employee in New Jersey is different from the GSA system that governs federal employees, though both are employee-protective.

Primary Applicability

  • Federal Law (GSA): Mandatory for all U.S. federal government employees on official business in New Jersey.
  • New Jersey Law: The NJ Wage Payment Law applies to all private-sector employees. It doesn't set per diem rates but is interpreted to prevent employers from forcing employees to cover necessary business costs.

Rate Setting and Flexibility

  • Federal Law (GSA): The GSA sets specific, non-negotiable per diem rates for various locations in New Jersey that federal agencies must use.
  • New Jersey Law: The state does not set its own per diem rates. Private companies can create their own reimbursement policies, but they must be careful not to violate the WPL by under-reimbursing necessary expenses. Using GSA rates is a very common and defensible practice.

Legal Foundation

  • Federal Law (GSA): A comprehensive regulatory system designed to standardize and control government travel costs.
  • New Jersey Law: Focuses on protecting an employee's earned wages. The legal principle is that making an employee pay for business costs is an unlawful deduction from their wages.

How Fyle Can Automate Per Diem and Expense Tracking

With its many distinct economic zones and strong employee protection laws, managing travel expenses in New Jersey requires a system that is both precise and compliant. Automating this process with Fyle ensures your company adheres to its policies and legal obligations without the administrative overhead.

Fyle’s expense management software is built to handle these challenges:

  • Automated and Accurate Rate Application: Fyle automatically applies the correct GSA per diem rates for any destination in New Jersey, from Newark to Cherry Hill. It instantly calculates the proper M&IE and lodging allowances based on travel dates and location.
  • Enforce Your Company’s Policy: Given New Jersey’s strong legal protections, consistently enforcing your reimbursement policy is critical. Fyle allows you to build your specific rules directly into the workflow, automatically flagging any submissions that are out of policy.
  • Effortless Expense Submissions: Employees can submit expenses in real-time with a single click. A photo of a receipt from Fyle’s mobile app or a forwarded email is all it takes to create an expense entry, eliminating manual reports.
  • Proactive Compliance Engine: Fyle checks every expense against your policies before it gets submitted. This real-time audit prevents out-of-policy spending and saves your finance team countless hours of manual review.
  • IRS-Compliant Mileage Tracking: For employees driving on the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway, Fyle’s Google Maps-powered mileage tracker provides an easy and accurate way to log trips, ensuring compliant records for reimbursement.
  • Direct Accounting Integration: Fyle syncs seamlessly with all major accounting software, including NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage Intacct. All approved per diem and travel expense data flows directly into your financial systems, saving time and ensuring accuracy.

With Fyle, you can confidently manage your New Jersey travel expense process, ensuring you meet your legal obligations while providing a modern, hassle-free experience for your employees.

ALAKAZARCACOCTDEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMAMDMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVAVTWAWVWIWY

Your single platform for tracking per diems, mileage, receipts, and automating all expense reporting.

G2 Leader Winter 2025 badgeG2 High Performer Enterprise Winter 2025 badgeG2 Best Software 2025 – Top 100 Highest Satisfaction Products badgeG2 Best Software 2025 – Top 50 Accounting & Finance Products badgeG2 Momentum Leader Winter 2025 badgeG2 Most Implementable Mid-Market Winter 2025 badge
Learn more

Also Read

How Fyle helps traveling employees manage corporate travel management

Corporate Travel Management: Everything You Need to Know

Learn more
Fyle blog explaining all the tax rules for per diems

All the Tax Rules for Per Diems You Need to Know

Learn more
Fyle guide for managing business expenses

Business Travel Expenses: A Guide to Management, Calculation, Tax Deductions & More

Learn more

The content on this page is for informational use. As legal standards and per diem rates are subject to change, users should verify current details with official GSA or government resources. This information does not serve as financial or legal counsel.