New York state fast food workers' wages will eventually rise to $15 (£9.60) an hour, after a state wage board unanimously recommended the increase.
New York City workers will be the first to benefit, with the increase due to be in place by the end of 2018.
Fast food workers in the rest of the state will have to wait until mid 2021 for the rise.
State Governor Andrew Cuomo said the vote marked "one of the really great days of my administration".
The state minimum wage is currently $8.75.
"You cannot live and support a family on $18,000 a year in the state of New York, period," he said.
"This is just the beginning. We will not stop until we reach true economic justice," he added.
New York mayor Bill de Blasio said he would now push for every worker in the city, not just fast food staff, to get a higher salary.
"This only underscores how necessary it is to raise the wage across the board. As much as fast food workers need and deserve a raise - and we know they do - we must ensure that every worker gets a living wage," he said.
While Mr de Blasio has pushed for a higher minimum wage, he does not have the power to set it.