2024 Maryland Minimum Wage
The 2024 Maryland Minimum Wage is $15.
Effective 2024-01-01Source: Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)Verified 2026-09-01
Who it applies to
Most employees in Maryland
What changed this year, and why
The Maryland state minimum wage is $15 per hour for 2024.
Common questions
- Are there special rates or exemptions?
- The source page published by the Maryland Department of Labor notes that some employees are exempt and that certain counties have higher minimum wage rates. Readers should consult the full source for details.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
Under Maryland law, employees who are under 18 years of age may be paid a subminimum wage equal to 85% of the State Minimum Wage Rate. At the current state rate of $15 per hour, this means a minor's hourly wage is 85% of that amount. This lower rate applies only because of the worker's age; once the employee turns 18, the full State Minimum Wage Rate of $15 per hour applies. There is no separate student or training wage in Maryland's minimum wage law. However, employees enrolled as trainees as part of a public school special education program are listed among the full exemptions from both minimum wage and overtime requirements. If you are a minor working in Maryland and believe you are being paid below 85% of the applicable rate, you may contact the Division of Labor and Industry's Wage and Labor Standards office to file a complaint.
Employees under 18 years of age must earn at least 85% of the State Minimum Wage Rate.
Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
Maryland allows its counties to set minimum wage rates that are higher than the State rate. Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties each have their own minimum wage laws with rates and rules that exceed the statewide floor. For example, Montgomery County's future rates are increased each July 1 by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Washington-Baltimore area. When a county's rate is higher than Maryland's, employers in that county must pay the higher county rate, not the lower state rate. Workers in these counties should check the rules that apply in their specific jurisdiction, because county exemptions and tipped-employee rates can also differ from state rules. If you work in one of these counties and believe you are being paid below the local rate, you may contact the Maryland Division of Labor and Industry or file a complaint through the Employment Standards Service.
Some counties have higher minimum wage rates and additional rules and exemptions.
Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Under Maryland law, most employees must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Maryland also has special overtime thresholds for certain workers: employees of bowling alleys and non-hospital residential care institutions (such as certain nursing homes, assisted living, or group homes) must receive the 1.5 premium only after 48 hours per week under state law, though federal law may still require overtime after 40 hours for these same workers. Agricultural workers must receive the premium after 60 hours per week. The rule is administered by the Employment Standards Service, Division of Labor and Industry. If your employer in Maryland is not paying you the required overtime premium, you may contact the Division of Labor and Industry to file a complaint.
Most employees must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 40 per week. Under Maryland law, employees of bowling alleys, and those who work for non-hospital residential care institutions (such as certain nursing homes, assisted living, or group homes for individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities who live at the institution) must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 48 per week. Federal law may require such employers to pay employees 1.5 times their usual hourly rate after 40 hours per week even when Maryland law requires it only after 48 hours. Agricultural workers who are not otherwise exempt from Maryland law must be paid 1.5 times their usual hourly rate for all hours worked over 60 per week.
Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
For questions about the Maryland minimum wage or to file a wage complaint, workers should contact the Maryland Division of Labor and Industry, Wage and Labor Standards section, at 10946 Golden West Drive, Suite 160, Hunt Valley, MD 21031, phone 410-767-2357. The Maryland Department of Labor's main office is at 100 S. Charles Street, Tower I, Baltimore, MD 21201. Callers may also dial 7-1-1 to reach the Maryland Relay Service. This office handles wage complaints under the Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law, including disputes about the minimum wage rate, overtime premiums, tipped-employee pay, and county-level minimum wages. Workers who believe they are not being paid correctly should reach out to this office for assistance.
For more information or to file a complaint, contact: Division of Labor and Industry Wage and Labor Standards 10946 Golden West Drive, Suite 160 Hunt Valley, MD 21031 Phone: 410-767-2357 Email: [email protected] Maryland Department of Labor 100 S. Charles Street, Tower I, Baltimore, MD 21201 Dial 7-1-1 to place a call through Maryland Relay
Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)
When tips, meals or lodging count toward the minimum wage
In Maryland, employers of tipped employees must pay a direct cash wage of at least $3.63 per hour, but only if the employee's tips bring their total earnings to at least the State Minimum Wage Rate of $15 per hour. Tipped employees are those who earn more than $30 per month in tips. If the cash wage of $3.63 plus tips falls short of $15 per hour, the employer must make up the difference so the employee receives at least $15 per hour in total compensation. Additionally, restaurants that rely on tips to reach the minimum wage must give employees a written or electronic Tip Credit Wage Statement each pay period, showing the employee's effective hourly rate including employer-paid cash wages plus tips. If your employer in Maryland is not following these rules, you may contact the Division of Labor and Industry.
Tipped Employees (earning more than $30 per month in tips) must still earn at least the State Minimum Wage Rate per hour. Employers must pay at least $3.63 per hour. This amount plus tips must equal at least the State Minimum Wage Rate, and employers must cover any gap.
Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Maryland Minimum Wage and Overtime Law (Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry)
- Hourly
Most employees must be paid at least the Maryland State Minimum Wage Rate of $15 per hour
Other years
Every Maryland Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state