Prince George's County minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Prince George's County is $15.30 an hour in 2026, $0.30 above the Maryland rate of $15.00. Prince George's County is one of three Maryland counties with a minimum wage above the state's, and it uses a single rate for employers of every size. The figure is published by the Maryland Department of Labor, which also handles wage claims in the county.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $15.30 an hour, since January 1, 2026412 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next change is due on July 1, 2027 under the inflation formula in CB-005-2025. |
| Tipped employees | $3.63 cash wage, tip credit up to $11.672 |
| Full-time pay | $612 a week, $31,824 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry - Wage and Labor Standards, 410-767-2357 |
What to know about the Prince George's County minimum wage
Maryland lets certain counties require a higher wage than the state's, and three have done so: Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's.1 Of the three, Prince George's is the simplest. It has one rate for all employers regardless of size, with no separate schedule for small businesses or nonprofits, and it applies to any work done in the county.12
The margin over the state is small. The county rate has been $15.30 since January 1, 2026, the first rate set by inflation indexing, against Maryland's $15.00, and the July 1, 2026 adjustment left it unchanged.41 The tipped cash wage in 2026 is the state figure of $3.63, and restaurants that count tips toward the wage must hand out a Tip Credit Wage Statement each pay period.2
Enforcement runs through the state. The poster that employers must physically display directs workers to the Maryland Department of Labor's Wage and Labor Standards unit, at 410-767-2357 with Spanish spoken, or to its online wage claim form, and it states that employers may not retaliate against a worker who files a complaint.2 The same poster reminds employers that they must give written pay details at hire and a pay statement every payday.
Increases now follow a formula. County Council Bill CB-005-2025, adopted on November 17, 2025 and signed on December 8, 2025, ties the rate to the Washington-area consumer price index each July 1, with a cap of 5% a year, and lets the County Council pause an increase when local employment is shrinking.3
All 2026 rates
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Countywide rate | All employers regardless of size, for work done in Prince George's County | $15.30412 |
| Overtime minimum | 1.5 times the $15.30 county rate in 2026, for hours over 40 in a week, as printed on the state's county poster. | $22.952 |
Compared with Maryland
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Prince George's County, that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County | Due July 1, 2027, amount not announced | $15.30 |
| Maryland (state) | None scheduled | $15.00 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $3.63 an hour2 |
| Maximum tip credit | $11.67 an hour |
Employers must pay tipped employees at least $3.63 an hour in cash in 2026, and pay plus tips must reach the $15.30 county rate in effect in 2026. Restaurants that rely on tips must give a Tip Credit Wage Statement each pay period.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
How the rate changes
Under County Council Bill CB-005-2025, adopted November 17, 2025, the rate rises each July 1 by the average inflation for the Washington area (CPI-U), capped at 5%, as set by the county's Director of Finance. It never decreases, and the Council may suspend an increase when employment growth is negative.
Rate history
Who is covered
Most employees must be paid the county rate for any work done in Prince George's County, whatever the size of the employer. Workers exempt from the Maryland or federal minimum wage law are not covered.
- Employers must physically post the state's Prince George's County poster (revised September 1, 2026) where employees can easily see it.
- Wage claims go to the Maryland Department of Labor's Wage and Labor Standards unit, 410-767-2357 (Spanish spoken), or online.
- Overtime is 1.5 times the usual rate after 40 hours a week, which is at least $22.95 an hour in 2026 for a worker paid the county minimum.
Other local rates in Maryland
- Montgomery County$18.00
- Howard County$16.00
Everywhere else in Maryland, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry - Wage and Labor Standards |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-767-2357 |
| The law | Prince George's County Code section 13A-117, as amended by CB-005-2025 |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Is a rate wrong or out of date? Report an error