Minimum wage in Massachusetts, 2000–2026

Minimum wage in 2026

$15 an hour1

In force since Jan 1, 2023.

On January 1, 2027

No change scheduled2

$15 an hour since Jan 1, 2023, the latest rate Commonwealth of Massachusetts gives (checked Oct 26, 2026).

Tipped employees

$6.75 an hour in cash3

Employers may count up to $8.25 an hour of tips toward the minimum wage. Tipped: more than $20 a month in tips.

Overtime

Premium pay after 40 hours a week4

The Massachusetts minimum wage rose from $6 in 2000 to $15 in 2023, still the rate in 2026

$0$5$10$15200020052010201520202026$7.25$15

Line chart of the Massachusetts minimum wage against the federal minimum: $6 in 2000, $8 in 2010, $12.75 in 2020, and $15 in 2026. The federal minimum was $5.15 in 2000 and $7.25 in 2026.

Data: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as of Nov 2, 2026. CC BY 4.0 · LeadChange Group Hiring Cost Atlas. 2000–2024: each year's rate as the U.S. DOL table prints it (2025 is not in its table, so the lines break there). 2026: the rate in force when checked.
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The Massachusetts minimum wage rose from $6 in 2000 to $15 in 2023, still the rate in 2026. LeadChange Group Hiring Cost Atlas; Data: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as of Nov 2, 2026. CC BY 4.0. https://leadchangegroup.com/guides/minimum-wage-by-state/massachusetts/#minimum-wage-history

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Every year in the DOL table
The Massachusetts minimum wage rose from $6 in 2000 to $15 in 2023, still the rate in 2026: every year of the U.S. Department of Labor table
YearState rateFederal rate
19681.60$1.15 & $1.60
19701.60$1.30 & $1.60
19721.75$1.60
19762.10$2.20 & $2.30
19792.90$2.90
19803.10$3.10
19813.35$3.35
19883.65$3.35
19913.75$3.80
19924.25$4.25
19944.25$4.25
19964.75$4.25
19975.25$4.75
19985.25$5.15
20006.00$5.15
20016.75$5.15
20026.75$5.15
20036.75$5.15
20046.75$5.15
20056.75$5.15
20066.755.15
20077.505.15
20088.005.85
20098.006.55
20108.007.25
20118.007.25
20128.007.25
20138.007.25
20148.007.25
20159.007.25
201610.007.25
201711.007.25
201811.007.25
201912.007.25
202012.757.25
202113.507.25
202214.257.25
202315.007.25
202415.007.25

As printed by the U.S. Department of Labor (“...” means no state rate applied).5

What a full-time minimum-wage employee costs in Massachusetts

At $15 an hour for 40 hours a week, a new employer with 10 staff pays $31,200 in wages and $3,094 on top (9.9%) in payroll taxes and workers' comp.

Wages (2,080 paid hours a year)
$31,200
Social Security (employer share)6.2%6 of $31,200
$1,934
Medicare (employer share)1.45%7 of $31,200
$452
FUTA (federal unemployment tax)0.6% (after the full 5.4% state credit)8 of $7,0008
$42
State unemployment insurance (new employer)2.42%9 of $15,0009
$363
Workers' compensation (benchmark index rate)$0.97 per $100 of payroll10
$303
Total a year
$34,294

If you also offer single health coverage, the average employer here pays about $8,398 more a year: a $10,436 average premium11 less $2,038 paid by the employee11.

Change the inputs in the Massachusetts employer cost calculator

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Massachusetts in 2026?

$15 an hour since Jan 1, 2023: $31,200 a year at full time.

What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in Massachusetts?

$6.75 an hour in cash, with up to $8.25 of tips counted toward Massachusetts's $15.

How much does a minimum-wage employee cost an employer in Massachusetts?

About $34,294 a year full time at $15: $31,200 of pay plus $3,094 on top, $2,792 in payroll taxes and $303 in workers' comp, before any health coverage.

How has the Massachusetts minimum wage changed since 2000?

The Massachusetts minimum wage rose from $6 in 2000 to $15 in 2023, still the rate in 2026. On the way: $8 in 2010 and $12.75 in 2020, per the U.S. DOL.

Sources

The 11 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
  1. Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-minimum-wage“Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum wage is $15.00 per hour and the service rate is $6.75”
  2. Commonwealth of Massachusetts mass.gov/info-details/minimum-wage-and-overtime-information“Effective January 1, 2023, minimum wage has increased to $15.00”
  3. 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) … Massachusetts $15.00 $8.25 $6.75 More than $20”
  4. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“Massachusetts … 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.”
  5. 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“Massachusetts 1.60 1.60 1.75 2.10 2.90 3.10 3.35 … Massachusetts 3.65 3.75 4.25 4.25 4.75 5.25 5.25 … Massachusetts 6.00 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 … Massachusetts 7.50 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 … Massachusetts 8.00 9.00 10.00 11.00 11.00 12.00 … Massachusetts 12.75 13.50 14.25 15.00 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”
  6. 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).”
  7. 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.”
  8. 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.”
  9. 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. … MA … 2.42%” “MA … $15,000”
  10. 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 … 31 32 Massachusetts 0.97 89%”
  11. 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 … Massachusetts 10,436 10,368 9,417 9,874 11,260 10,315 9,965 10,548” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … Massachusetts 2,038 1,106 * 2,946 2,949 2,278 1,692 2,497 1,930”