2026 Maryland Minimum Wage
The 2026 Maryland Minimum Wage is $15.
Effective 2026-01-01Source: State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)Verified 2026-08-29
Who it applies to
Employers and employees in Maryland covered by the state minimum wage law. The Department of Labor attaches no employer-size condition to the rate and names no exclusion from coverage, so the table records the rate without qualifying who it reaches. Beyond the rate, the entry states only premium pay after a designated weekly number of hours. The table does not display subminimum rates for minors, students or trainees, or any higher rate set by a local government.
What changed this year, and why
The U.S. Department of Labor's table of state minimum wage laws, updated July 1, 2026, lists Maryland's basic minimum rate as $15.00 per hour. The Maryland entry is a short one: a rate and a premium pay line, with no annual adjustment formula, no federal-rate clause and no dated later step. No earlier year of this record is published here, so this page states no year-over-year change.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Maryland in 2026?
- It is $15.00 per hour. That is the basic minimum rate the U.S. Department of Labor lists for Maryland in its State Minimum Wage Laws table, in the version updated July 1, 2026. The figure published here is read from that entry and from nothing else, so it reflects the state rate as the department recorded it on that date.
- Does Maryland require overtime pay after designated hours?
- The table's Maryland entry carries a premium pay after designated hours line, and what it names there is a weekly threshold. It states no daily threshold, which the same table does state for some other jurisdictions. The hour count itself is part of the table's own wording rather than the verified figure published on this page.
- Is the Maryland minimum wage adjusted each year?
- The table states an annual adjustment inside the entry itself for the states that have one, naming a formula or an index. The Maryland entry contains no such statement. This page therefore publishes the rate the table listed as of July 1, 2026 and makes no claim about how or when the Maryland rate is recalculated, because the source document does not say.
- Does the Maryland minimum wage change again during 2026?
- The Department of Labor's table lists no scheduled change for Maryland. The entry carries a single basic minimum rate with no dated step attached, unlike the entries the department dates for some other jurisdictions. A change taking effect after the table's July 1, 2026 update would not appear here until the department republishes the table and this record is verified against it again.
- Is there a separate tipped minimum wage in Maryland?
- The Department of Labor's state table lists one basic minimum rate per hour for Maryland and no separate cash wage for tipped employees, so this page does not publish one. The same table states plainly that differential provisions are not displayed in it, naming subminimum rates for minors and students and training wages for new hires as its own examples.
- Is Maryland's minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage?
- Yes. The same Department of Labor table gives the current federal minimum wage in its entries for states that have no minimum wage law of their own, and Maryland's basic minimum rate of $15.00 per hour is above that amount. Maryland's entry carries no clause adopting the federal rate by reference, which several other states' entries in the same table do carry.
- Do county minimum wages in Maryland override the state rate?
- The Department of Labor's table does not answer that. It notes that some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage, and that such differential provisions are not displayed in the table. The $15.00 per hour figure on this page is the state-level basic rate only, so a county ordinance would sit outside what this source records.
- Where does the $15.00 figure for Maryland come from?
- From the Wage and Hour Division's State Minimum Wage Laws table at dol.gov, in the snapshot captured for this record, where the Maryland entry gives the basic minimum rate per hour as $15.00. The division notes on the same page that it tries to ensure the information is accurate and that individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The Minimum wage pay calculator takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
Minors, students and training wages: who may be paid less than the rate on this page
The $15 hourly minimum wage shown on this page does not apply to every worker in every circumstance. Several states establish subminimum wage rates that are lower than the standard rate for certain categories of employees, including minors, students, and new hires who are still in a training period. Some states also exempt particular groups of workers from minimum-wage coverage entirely. Because these special rates vary by state and by the employee's age, school status, or training status, they are not listed in the table on this page. Employers who believe a worker qualifies for a subminimum or training wage must confirm the specific conditions set by their state. Workers who are paid below the standard rate should verify with their state labor office whether the lower wage is lawful for their situation.
Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
The $15 hourly rate shown on this page is the state or federal baseline, but it may not be the rate an employer must actually pay. Cities and counties are free to adopt their own minimum wage ordinances, and when they do, the local rate can be higher than the state rate. In those jurisdictions, the higher local rate controls, and employers are required to pay it. The table on this page lists only state-level minimum wages; it does not reflect city or county minimums that may exceed them. Workers and employers in areas with a local minimum wage ordinance should check with the city or county government to confirm the rate that applies. If a local rate is higher than the state rate, the employer must pay the higher local rate.
Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
Hours worked beyond the standard full-time threshold are generally entitled to additional compensation. Under the rule described in the footnote to this table, the overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay. That means for each overtime hour, the worker must receive at least their normal hourly rate plus an extra half of that rate on top. The footnote notes that this is the default premium and that particular states may specify a different multiplier for certain situations, such as work performed on a holiday or on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Because each state's overtime threshold and multiplier can differ, the exact number of hours after which the premium kicks in, and the rate that applies, should be confirmed under the law of the state where the work is performed.
The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
The wage rates and rules listed on this page are compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division for general reference, but they are not the final official record for any particular state. Each state's labor office is the authoritative source for the current rate, any subminimum rates, training wages, and local ordinances that apply in that state. Workers who believe they have been paid less than they are owed, and employers who want to confirm their obligations, should contact their state labor office directly. The Wage and Hour Division also accepts complaints about unpaid wages and can investigate violations of federal and state wage laws. State labor office contact information is available through the Department of Labor's directory of state labor offices.
individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
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.
State Minimum Wage Laws (DOL)
- Hourly
Maryland Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $15.00
Other years
- 2026
Every Maryland Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state