2023 Maine Tipped Minimum Wage
The 2023 Maine Tipped Minimum Wage is $6.90.
Effective 2023-01-01Source: Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)Verified 2026-09-01
Compared with 2022
| Item | 2022 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $6.38 | $6.90 | +$0.52 (+8.2%) |
Who it applies to
Employers in Maine who pay tipped service employees
What changed this year, and why
Maine's tipped minimum wage (service employee minimum wage) for 2023
Common questions
- What is the tipped minimum wage in Maine for 2023?
- Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum cash wage for tipped service employees in Maine is $6.90 per hour. Employers must ensure that the employee's direct cash wage plus tips received equal at least the full state minimum wage each week.
Who counts as a tipped employee
In Maine, a tipped employee is referred to as a "service employee" under state wage law. To qualify for the lower cash wage, you must be someone who regularly receives tips as a customary part of your compensation — meaning tips are a normal, expected part of what you earn in your job, not something that happens only occasionally. Common examples include servers, bartenders, and other workers in roles where customers routinely leave gratuities. If your position does not customarily generate tips, or if you only rarely receive them, your employer must pay you the full Maine minimum wage with no tip credit. The $6.90 per hour cash wage is specifically for service employees whose tips are expected to bring their total earnings up to at least the full state minimum wage. Employers in Maine cannot apply this lower rate to workers whose jobs do not regularly produce tips, and workers who are unsure whether they qualify should look at whether tips are a predictable, ongoing part of their pay in that specific role.
In addition to the minimum wage, the new "tip wage," or service employee minimum wage, in 2023 will be $6.90 per hour.
Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)
What a tip credit is, and the cash wage underneath it
Maine's 2023 minimum wage is $13.80 per hour, but employers of service employees who customarily receive tips may pay a direct cash wage of $6.90 per hour. The tip credit is the difference between that direct cash wage and the full minimum wage - in other words, the employer counts up to $6.90 of the employee's tips toward meeting the $13.80 minimum wage obligation. At the end of each workweek, the employer must be able to show that the employee's direct wage plus tips received equal at least $13.80 per hour for all hours worked. If tips fall short in any given week, the employer must make up the difference so the employee still receives the full minimum wage. The $6.90 direct cash wage is the lowest amount the employer may pay a tipped service employee in Maine in 2023, regardless of how much the employee earns in tips.
In addition to the minimum wage, the new "tip wage," or service employee minimum wage, in 2023 will be $6.90 per hour. This means that service employees must receive at least a direct cash wage of $6.90 per hour from the employer. The employer must be able to show that the employee receives at least the minimum wage of $13.80 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week.
Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)
When the tips do not get you to the minimum wage
Maine law requires that a tipped employee's total compensation — the direct cash wage plus tips — reach at least the full state minimum wage for every hour worked in a week. If your tips in a particular week are low enough that your $6.90-per-hour direct wage plus those tips come out to less than $13.80 per hour, your employer must make up the difference. The employer cannot average a slow week with a busy week, and it cannot point to tips you may earn in future weeks. The calculation happens weekly, and the employer is responsible for covering any shortfall out of its own pocket. This is one of the main protections built into Maine's tip wage rules: even though employers are allowed to pay a lower direct cash wage to tipped workers, they are not allowed to shift the risk of slow business onto the employee by paying less than the state minimum wage in any given week.
The employer must be able to show that the employee receives at least the minimum wage of $13.80 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week.
Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)
The notice an employer owes you before it takes the credit
Maine requires employers to inform tipped employees about the tip credit before using it to pay the lower service employee wage. The notice must include the cash wage being paid, the amount of the tip credit being taken, and a statement that all tips belong to the employee except for contributions to a valid tip pool. The employer must also tell the employee that the tip credit will not apply unless this information has been provided. If an employer in Maine fails to give this notice, it cannot legally claim the tip credit at all, which means the worker is owed the full state minimum wage for every hour worked — not just the $6.90 direct cash wage. This notice requirement protects workers from having a lower wage rate applied without their knowledge. If you are a tipped employee in Maine and have not received this information, ask your employer for it in writing.
In addition to the minimum wage, the new "tip wage," or service employee minimum wage, in 2023 will be $6.90 per hour.
Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)
Which tip pools you can be made to join
In Maine, a tip pool may only include employees who work in occupations where they customarily and regularly receive tips. This means that an employer cannot require tipped workers to share their tips with cooks, dishwashers, janitors, or other back-of-house staff who do not normally receive gratuities from customers. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that tip pooling arrangements benefit the workers who actually serve customers and depend on tips as a regular part of their income. In Maine, the service employee minimum wage is $6.90 per hour, and this lower rate is justified only when the worker's tips — including any valid pool share — bring total compensation to at least the full minimum wage. If you are required to contribute to a tip pool that includes non-tipped employees, or if your pool share is being distributed to managers or supervisors, the arrangement may be unlawful.
In addition to the minimum wage, the new "tip wage," or service employee minimum wage, in 2023 will be $6.90 per hour.
Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)
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.
Upcoming Labor Law Changes in 2023 (Maine Department of Labor)
- Minimum cash wage
In addition to the minimum wage, the new "tip wage," or service employee minimum wage, in 2023 will be $6.90 per hour.
Other years
Every Maine Tipped Minimum Wage year · Tipped Minimum Wage in every state