Minimum wage in Maryland, 2000–2026
- Minimum wage in 2026
$15 an hour1
- On January 1, 2027
No change scheduled1
$15 an hour since Jan 1, 2024, the latest rate Maryland Department of Labor gives (checked Oct 26, 2026).
- Tipped employees
$3.63 an hour in cash2
Employers may count up to $11.37 an hour of tips toward the minimum wage. Tipped: more than $30 a month in tips.
- Overtime
Premium pay after 40 hours a week3
The Maryland minimum wage rose from $5.15 in 2000 to $15 in 2024, still the rate in 2026
Line chart of the Maryland minimum wage against the federal minimum: $5.15 in 2000, $7.25 in 2010, $11 in 2020, and $15 in 2026. The federal minimum was $5.15 in 2000 and $7.25 in 2026.
What a full-time minimum-wage employee costs in Maryland
At $15 an hour for 40 hours a week, a new employer with 10 staff pays $31,200 in wages and $2,927 on top (9.4%) in payroll taxes and workers' comp.
- Wages (2,080 paid hours a year)
- $31,200
- Social Security (employer share)6.2%5 of $31,200
- $1,934
- Medicare (employer share)1.45%6 of $31,200
- $452
- Workers' compensation (benchmark index rate)$0.89 per $100 of payroll9
- $278
- Total a year
- $34,127
If you also offer single health coverage, the average employer here pays about $6,695 more a year: a $8,760 average premium10 less $2,065 paid by the employee10.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Maryland in 2026?
$15 an hour: $31,200 a year at full time.
What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in Maryland?
$3.63 an hour in cash, with up to $11.37 of tips counted toward Maryland's $15.
How much does a minimum-wage employee cost an employer in Maryland?
About $34,127 a year full time at $15: $31,200 of pay plus $2,927 on top, $2,650 in payroll taxes and $278 in workers' comp, before any health coverage.
How has the Maryland minimum wage changed since 2000?
The Maryland minimum wage rose from $5.15 in 2000 to $15 in 2024, still the rate in 2026. On the way: $7.25 in 2010 and $11 in 2020, per the U.S. DOL.
More minimum wage and employer cost pages
Employer costs in Maryland
States with a similar minimum wage
Data and rules for every state
Sources
The 10 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Maryland Department of Labor labor.maryland.gov/labor/wages/wagehrfacts.shtml“Most employees must be paid at least the Maryland State Minimum Wage Rate of $15 per hour, but there are some exemptions.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped“Definition of Tipped Employee by Minimum Tips received (monthly unless otherwise specified) … State requires employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the minimum cash wage required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ($2.13/hour) … Maryland $15.00 $11.37 $3.63 More than $30”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“Maryland … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $15.00 … Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 … The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Changes in Basic Minimum Wages in Non-Farm Employment Under State Law: Selected Years 1968 to 2024“Maryland 1.00 & 1.15 1.30 1.60 2.20 & 2.30 2.90 3.10 3.35 … Maryland 3.35 3.80 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.75 5.15 … Maryland 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 5.15 … Maryland 6.15 6.15 6.55 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Maryland 7.25 8.25 8.75 8.75 10.10 11.00 … Maryland 11.00 11.75 12.50 13.25 15.00” “Federal (FLSA) $1.15 & $1.60 $1.30 & $1.60 $1.60 $2.20 & $2.30 $2.90 $3.10 $3.35 … Federal (FLSA) $3.35 $3.80 $4.25 $4.25 $4.25 $4.75 $5.15 … Federal (FLSA) $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 5.15 … Federal (FLSA) 5.15 5.85 6.55 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25”
- Internal Revenue Service IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide“For 2026, the social security tax rate is 6.2% (amount withheld) each for the employer and employee (12.4% total).”
- Social Security Administration ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html“Tax rates under the HI program are 1.45 percent for employees and employers, each, and 2.90 percent for self-employed persons.”
- Internal Revenue Service Topic no. 759, Form 940 – FUTA tax (IRS)“If you're entitled to the maximum 5.4% credit, the FUTA tax rate after credit is 0.6%.” “FUTA tax rate: The FUTA tax rate is 6.0%. The tax applies to the first $7,000 you paid to each employee as wages during the year.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“New employer rate shown is the base rate. … MD … 2.60%” “MD … $8,500”
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/cost/Pages/premium-index-rates.aspx“Premium index rate: $0.75-$1.00 … State Index rate Percent of study median … 37 33 Maryland 0.89 82%”
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MEPS-IC) meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/summ_tables/insr/state/series_2/2025/ic25_iia_f.pdf“Table II.C.1 Average total single premium (in dollars) per enrolled employee … Division and State Total … Maryland 8,760 7,859 8,407 7,525 9,288 9,068 7,628 9,061” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … Maryland 2,065 -- 2,078 2,027 2,296 2,093 1,586 2,193”