Current Minimum Wage
Maryland minimum wage$15.00since January 1, 2024

State minimum wage

Maryland minimum wage

$15.00 an hour as of September 2, 2026. Tipped cash wage $3.63. 2 local rates are higher.

  • The Maryland minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, set by state law effective .
  • No increase is currently scheduled in Maryland.
  • Tipped employees must be paid at least $3.63 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $11.37.
  • A youth or training wage of $12.75 applies: Employees under 18 may be paid 85% of the state minimum wage (LE 3-413); 85% of $15.00 = $12.75 (computed)..
  • At $15.00 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $31,200 a year before taxes.
  • 2 local rates in Maryland are higher than the state rate; the highest is $18.00 for Montgomery County.

Tipped cash wage

$3.63
Tip credit up to $11.37

Youth / training

$12.75
Employees under 18 may be paid 85% of the state minimum wage (LE 3-413); 85% of $15.00 = $12.75 (computed).

Next change

None scheduled
Set by statute; no indexing

Local rates

2 in effect
Counties may set higher rates. Per the state fact sheet as of 2026-07-01: Howard County $16.00; Montgomery County $18.00 (51+ employees), $16.50 (11-50), $15.95 (10 or fewer), indexed each July 1 to...

Local minimum wages in Maryland

Where a city or county rate is higher, it governs inside that jurisdiction.

Montgomery County$18.00since July 1, 2026Howard County$16.00since January 1, 2025

Scheduled increases in Maryland

January 1, 20271 jurisdiction
CountyTBA
Howard County, MDall tiers · indexed-unannounced · Increases 'set after that by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) starting in January 2027'.
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
July 1, 20273 jurisdictions
CountyTBA
Montgomery County, MDlarge employer · indexed-unannounced · Annual CPI-W adjustment under Code 27-68(b).
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
CountyTBA
Montgomery County, MDmid-sized employer · indexed-unannounced · CPI-W adjustment plus, if that is under $0.50, 1% of prior-year rate up to $0.50 total, until equal to the large-employer rate (2017 L.M.C. ch. 32...
TBAindexed, amount to be announced
CountyTBA
Montgomery County, MDsmall employer · indexed-unannounced · Same catch-up formula as mid-sized until parity.
TBAindexed, amount to be announced

Coverage, exemptions, and history

Who is covered. All employers regardless of size (the former small-employer tier of 14 or fewer employees ended 2023-12-31); official poster: '$15.00 Effective 1/1/24'..

Tipped employees. Employees regularly receiving more than $30/month in tips: employer must pay at least $3.63/hr; tip credit may not exceed the minimum wage less $3.63 (LE 3-419).

Recent history. Fair Wage Act of 2023 accelerated the schedule to $15.00 for all employers on 2024-01-01 (previously $13.25 / $12.80 small employer in 2023) and removed indexing.

The CPI-W sentence on the state fact sheet refers to Montgomery County rates, not the state rate; the state statute has no indexing.

Statute. Md.

Common questions

What is the minimum wage in Maryland?

$15.00 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective January 1, 2024.

When does the Maryland minimum wage go up next?

No increase is scheduled.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Maryland?

$3.63 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $15.00.

Do any cities in Maryland have a higher minimum wage?

Yes: Montgomery County $18.00, Howard County $16.00.

Sources

  1. https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/wages/wagehrfacts.shtml official
  2. https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/wages/minimumwagelaw.pdf official
  3. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle&section=3-413&enactments=false official
  4. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
  5. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gle&section=3-419&enactments=false official
  6. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped official
  7. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/

Checked 2026-09-02 against Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Service; researcher confidence 0.95.